Apr 12, 2010 07:30 ET

Cellceutix CEO Appears on ‘Stu Taylor on Business’: Cancer and Autism Compounds Are Discussed

BEVERLY, MA–(Marketwire – April 12, 2010) – Cellceutix Corporation (OTCBB: CTIX), a bio-pharmaceutical company that develops small molecules to treat cancer, autism and inflammatory disease, today announced that its CEO, George Evans, appeared on the radio program Stu Taylor on Business on Saturday evening. Mr. Evans discussed a range of issues regarding the Cellceutix portfolio of compounds. Kevetrin™, which is being developed to treat drug resistant cancers, and KM-391, which is being developed to treat autism spectrum disorder were prominently featured. Please visit the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com for a link to the program.

“This type of program is a great opportunity for companies like Cellceutix to get the word out about our important research efforts,” said Mr. Evans. “We are going to keep looking for these chances to tell our story.”

In animal studies, Kevetrin has been found to significantly delay tumor growth in multi-drug resistant lung, breast and colon cancer cell lines. On April 20, Cellceutix will be presenting a poster of important new data on Kevetrin at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Washington, DC. More information about these studies and the AACR presentation is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

KM-391, Cellceutix’s novel compound in development for the treatment of autism, was shown to improve several key parameters in an animal model of autism. Given the urgent medical need in this area, the Company is working as rapidly as possible to move KM-391 toward human studies. The pharmaceutical industry is only recently gearing up to develop drugs that address the primary conditions of autism. At Cellceutix we hope to stay ahead of the curve on autism research.

About Cellceutix

Cellceutix Corporation is a preclinical cancer and anti-inflammatory drug developer. Cellceutix owns the rights to eight drug compounds, including Kevetrin, which it is developing as a treatment for certain cancers, and KM-391, which it is developing for the treatment of autism. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions about the industry and markets in which Cellceutix Corporation operates. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause Cellceutix’s actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these statements. Actual results may differ materially from what is expressed in these statements, and no assurance can be given that Cellceutix can successfully implement its core business strategy and improve future earnings.
The factors that may cause Cellceutix’s actual results to differ from its forward-looking statements include: Cellceutix’s current critical need for additional cash to sustain existing operations and meet ongoing existing obligations and capital requirements; Cellceutix’s ability to implement its new product development and commercialization, enter into clinical trials, expand the intellectual property portfolio, and receive regulatory approvals in a timely and cost-effective manner. All forward-looking statements are also expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in Cellceutix’s SEC filings, including its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its annual report on Form 10-K.
Kevetrin and KM-391 have not been studied in humans at this time. The Company’s positive results in animal studies do not necessarily guarantee success in humans, though they may form the basis for beginning Phase 1 trials.

We will keep this topic just for general discussions that I have with Leo Ehrlich, Chief Financial Officer, of Cellceutix Corporation.

I spoke with Leo again this morning and will be talking with him again this afternoon. Some of our discussion was about a new video being assembled with George Evans, Cellceutix CEO. George is a generally low-key individual, so when he has something to say, it is worth listening. We also touched on the idea of financing and Leo reminded me to take a look at the Cellceutix history and filings. There has NEVER been any sort of toxic financing. They hold shareholder value in an extremely high regard. There has not even been a bunch of dilution. The Big 3 that run Cellceutix have invested heavily personally to fund research. That certainly says an awful lot about their confidence in what they are doing and the future of Cellceutix. Shareholders will be rewarded for their belief as well.

April is National Autism Month. It is a bit of press like this that makes the work that Cellceutix is doing so important.

Alarming Increase in Autism Brings Together Hundreds of Parents, Researchers and Clinicians From Around the World to Baltimore This Weekend to Discuss Current Research and Treatment Options

The Autism Research Institute states that many of those diagnosed with autism have underlying medical disorders that are amenable to treatment.

ATLANTA, April 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new estimates that one in every 110 children (1 in 70 boys) is diagnosed with autism. Autism has become more common in our children than cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. Autism affects children from all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds and places a tremendous economic burden on affected families and society at large, costing up to $3.2 million per child for a lifetime of care and over $35 billion in annual societal cost.

The Autism Research Institute (ARI) was the first organization to call attention to the alarming increase in autism and today has become the hub of a worldwide network of parents and professionals who are seeking answers to what has caused this dramatic increase, and what can be done to help restore health to those affected. According to Kenneth Bock, MD, Medical Director of ARI, new research is challenging the long-held view that autism is an incurable genetic disorder. “What we are discovering is that those with autism often times have underlying medical disorders that impair the neurological, gastrointestinal, metabolic and immune systems, and when these problems are treated the symptoms of autism often improve. These medical treatments work synergistically with behavioral and educational programs to provide the best possible outcomes,” stated Bock.

On April 9-11 hundreds of autism experts, parents, and professionals from around the world will gather in Baltimore to attend the Autism Research Institute’s Defeat Autism Now! Conference held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. For more information go to www.defeatautismnow.com or to schedule an interview please contact Lyn@autism.com

The Autism Research Institute was founded in 1967 by the late Dr. Bernard Rimland and is the only autism organization specifically focused on biomedical treatments for the disorder. ARI is the only national non-profit autism organization to receive the esteemed “Four Star Award” by Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management.

SOURCE Autism Research Institute

RELATED LINKS

http://www.autism.com

http://www.defeatautismnow.com/

Volume is still low, but the hits on the ask are encouraging. The bid climbed up a little as the day progressed once the ask at .48 was finally wiped out with buys. The day ended with the CTIX bid at .29 and the ask at .55. Once the bid finally starts creeping up, we are going to see this stock move faster. Better grab it before it’s gone.

I have been spending a great deal of time reading on autism this past week. At OTC Showcase, we are always interested in the showing the validity of the companies that we support. While excitement for seeing a great company and investment opportunity can sometimes lead to putting on “horse blinders”, we do our best to keep our focus straight and keep digging deeper in the company and the industry.

Cellceutix is indeed in a great position as a long-term play in my judgment as I read about the race to find a cure for autism. There is more and more debate being waged over all things surrounding autism, including the big argument over whether or not vaccines are a cause. Instead of joining in this battle of words and political debate over a possible scandel, Cellceutix is focusing their attention on what is important, the cure. Most biotechnology companies are still developing drugs merely to treat the symptoms, Cellceutix is grinding away at researching KM-391, which they contend has possibilities at eradicating the disease altogether. Recently, another major biotech has begun to move forward with cure research at the heels of Cellceutix. George Evans and the rest of the Cellceutix team are glad to be a step ahead.

KM-391 is revolutionary and its possibilities are the brainchild of Dr. Krishna Menon. If I have to pick a scientist to stand behind and invest in, it is going to be a man with a track record like Dr. Menon. From what I have seen, not only does his background speaks for itself, but his drive to continually move forward is unparalleled. Throw into the mix the wisdom and corporate leadership of Mr. Evans (Cellceutix CEO), and we believe that we are seeing history in the making.

Will it all be happening tomorrow? Of course not. The development of a pharmaceutical along the lines of what Cellceutix is trying to accomplish is a slow and steady progression over a few years. The ground floor is where we continue to find companies like this to ride their coat tails as they grow.

A lot of our attention this week has been turned towards autism because of the recent news that Cellceutix released, but let’s not forget about the work on cancer also. They have made huge breakthroughs there as well. Incidentally, they are farther along with the required Food and Drug Administration filings to take Kevetrin to clinical studies than they are with their research on autism. We will be providing more information on that in coming weeks.

As always, we invite you to join us in research. Our contention is that you will like what you see as much as we do.

I just ran across this bit of information on Dr. Krishna Menon, Chief Scientific Officer of Cellceutix. There seems to be only impressive things to read about him. This is a bit more history on him. The article is from 2005, some of the words are in the improper tense, but it still makes the point quite clear about Dr. Menon’s distinguished background.

Dr. Menon is a well known Pharmaceutical Scientist and Executive. He was awarded the Employee of the Year, President’s Award (1999) at Eli Lilly, where he was a co-inventor of two drugs, GEMZAR(R) and ALIMTA(R), which account for nearly one billion dollars in annual sales. Prior to that, he was Senior Research Scientist at Bayer. At present, he is on the board of directors of KARD Scientific, MA, and Biological Supplies, NY, and scientific advisor to Nexus Pharmaceuticals.

He is the holder of 7 US patents. Dr. Menon received a PhD from Harvard. While at Harvard, he performed pre-clinical studies on AZT, an important anti-HIV drug.

With the permission of Cellceutix Corporation, we have uploaded a video to YouTube that is the audio commentary from Mr. Ehrlich about the press release on their innovative compound KM-391 for the treatment of autism. OTC Showcase wishes to thank Cellceutix for the use of the audio.

Remember that you heard it first from OTC Showcase!!

I was reading the Cellceutix website today and notice important updates regarding KM-391. Cellceutix is moving forward nicely with this compound. This will be coming out in a press release tomorrow.

Cellceutix Announces Positive Results With Autism Compound
KM-391 Showing Significant Improvements On Key Parameters In Animal Studies

BEVERLY, MA – March 29, 2010 – Cellceutix Corporation (OTCBB: CTIX), a bio-pharmaceutical company that develops small molecules to treat cancer and inflammatory disease, today announced positive results in an animal study of its recently acquired autism compound, KM-391. In this carefully conducted study, KM-391 was given orally over 90 days to groups of rats at two dosage levels. At each dosage level, KM-391 demonstrated significant improvements in the test animals when compared to both the “no treatment” group and the “active control” (fluoxetine) group on the parameters of brain plasticity, serotonin levels and behavioral function. These parameters were selected as important indicators of the effect needed to successfully treat autism.

“We are extremely excited about the data on KM-391 and the potential for the compound in this area of urgent medical need,” said George Evans, CEO of Cellceutix. “Diagnoses of autism are rising dramatically and the disease takes a terrible toll on families. There is a critical need for new treatments for autism and we are pleased to be part of the effort to find them.”
“Research on autism has been difficult because there has been no reliable animal model,” said Dr. Krishna Menon, Chief Scientific Officer of Cellceutix. “Fortunately, we were able to tap into some cutting edge research to find a promising model for our study.”

An audio link discussing this event is at: http://www.cellceutix.com/news/press-release-audio-3-29-2010.html

For more details about KM-391and the study please visit the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com

About Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Autism is a behavior disorder, characterized by an impairment in social communication, social interaction, and social imagination. Those with autism often have a restricted range of interests and display repetitive behaviors and mannerisms, along with altered reactions to the everyday environment.

More information about autism:

• 1 percent of the population of children in the U.S. ages 3-17 have an autism spectrum disorder. Prevalence is estimated at 1 in 110 births.
  More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.
• 1 to 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. 1 percent of the adult population of the United Kingdom have an autism spectrum disorder.
• Fastest-growing developmental disability; 10 – 17 % annual growth.
• $60 billion estimated annual cost with 60% of costs in adult services. Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention.
• Autism receives less than 5% of the current US private research funding, and less than 1% of the total NIH budget, even though it is the most prevalent childhood disorder.

More information about autism spectrum disorders is available on the following websites:

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) – http://www.nichd.nih.gov

Autism Society of America – http://www.autism-society.org

Autism Speaks, Inc. – http://www.autismspeaks.org

About Cellceutix
Cellceutix Corporation is a preclinical cancer and anti-inflammatory drug developer. Cellceutix owns the rights to eight drug compounds, including Kevetrin(TM), which it is developing as a treatment for certain cancers, and KM-391, which it is developing for the treatment of autism. More information is available on the Cellceutix web site at www.cellceutix.com.

This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions about the industry and markets in which Cellceutix Corporation operates. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause Cellceutix’s actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these statements. Actual results may differ materially from what is expressed in these statements, and no assurance can be given that Cellceutix can successfully implement its core business strategy and improve future earnings.
The factors that may cause Cellceutix’s actual results to differ from its forward-looking statements include: Cellceutix’s current critical need for additional cash to sustain existing operations and meet ongoing existing obligations and capital requirements; Cellceutix’s ability to implement its new product development and commercialization, enter into clinical trials, expand the intellectual property portfolio, and receive regulatory approvals in a timely and cost-effective manner. All forward-looking statements are also expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in Cellceutix’s SEC filings, including its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its annual report on Form 10-K.
Kevetrin and KM-391 have not been studied in humans at this time. The Company’s positive results in animal studies do not necessarily guarantee success in humans, though they may form the basis for beginning Phase 1 trials.

Contact:
Cellceutix Corp.
Leo Ehrlich
(978) 633-3623
Leo@Cellceutix.com

Cellceutix acquired the rights to KM-391 in December 2009.

Cellceutix Aquires New Compound for Autism

Cellceutix has acquired the rights to the compound KM 391, which it intends to pursue as a treatment for autism. KM 391 is a small molecule that was developed in India and will now be synthesized in the United States for continued testing.

Preliminary testing of KM 391 in mice revealed that the test animals showed a significant increase in serotonin uptake compared to controls, with no apparent side-effects in the long-term administration of KM 391 in mice. The equalization of serotonin uptake is considered by many researchers as an important development in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

Autism is a behavior disorder, characterized by an impairment in social communication, social interaction, and social imagination. Those with autism often have a restricted range of interests and display repetitive behaviors and mannerisms, along with altered reactions to the everyday environment. Autism may affect as many as 14-39 babies per 10,000 births.

About Autism Spectrum Disorders:

• 1 percent of the population of children in the U.S. ages 3-17 have an autism spectrum disorder. Prevalence is estimated at 1 in 110 births.
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.
• 1 to 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. 1 percent of the adult population of the United Kingdom have an autism spectrum disorder.
• Fastest-growing developmental disability; 10 – 17 % annual growth.
• $60 billion estimated annual cost with 60% of costs in adult services. Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention.
• Autism receives less than 5% of the current US private research funding, and less than 1% of the total NIH budget, even though it is the most prevalent childhood disorder.

More information about autism spectrum disorders is available on the following websites:

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) – http://www.nichd.nih.gov
Autism Society of America – http://www.autism-society.org
Autism Speaks, Inc. – http://www.autismspeaks.org