Houston, TX, (May 6, 2004) Cytogenix, Inc. (OTCBB: CYGX)
CytoGenix, Inc. (OTCBB: CYGX) announced the successful completion of the second round of pre-clinical animal studies, demonstrating that the company's DNA anti-bacterial compound is effective in controlling the growth of "wild" strain of bacteria like those that cause infection and sepsis in people.
Dr. Yin Chen, CytoGenix Vice President of Research and Development stated, "The result of this study is very significant because it shows that the compound is able to kill wild type bacteria in a living animal. These wild strains have thicker cell walls and are much more difficult to kill than their laboratory cousins. The next steps involve pharmacological studies to determine safe dosage and toxicology studies in larger animals."
Dr. Malcolm Skolnick, CytoGenix, Chairman and CEO, states, "Developing a compound that quickly kills dangerous life-threatening bacteria is a significant advance in medical research accomplished by a small enterprise such as ourselves and is a harbinger of the future of DNA medicine. Our ssDNA expression technology is universal and we have several other products against infectious diseases in pre-clinical development."
The Centers for Disease Control report 700,000 cases and 215,000 deaths annually in the U.S. from severe sepsis. This week, CBS 60 Minutes featured a report on the increasing danger of MRSA and other anti-biotic resistant pathogens including those that result in sepsis. Traditional antibiotic therapy has become ineffective because the sepsis causing pathogens have mutated and developed defenses against all but the most powerful and expensive treatments. Care of people with sepsis costs about $50,000 per case resulting in an economic burden of nearly $17 billion a year.
CytoGenix, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative products and services based on its proprietary DNA expression technology. CytoGenix has products in pre-clinical development including, anti-herpes, anti-psoriasis and anti-inflammatory topical creams. The company owns a US patent for its core DNA expression technology and has 40 international or US pending patent applications.
SAFE HARBOR: Except for statements of historical fact, the statements in this press release are forward-looking. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, risks associated with the acceptance of new products, competition, and other factors more fully detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additional information about CytoGenix and its technology can be found on the website at www.cytogenix.com.
Contact: Communications Director — Juan Ferreira, (407) 774-9949
