Immtech to achieve significant returns by providing cures and preventions
for infectious diseases that globally affect millions of people. We
target diseases that lend themselves to clearly measurable results
in relatively short clinical trials. In addition, we utilize a business
model that is distinctive for its cost-effectiveness and attractive
partnering potential with leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.
Innovative Technology Platform
We have an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize
compounds based on a proprietary medicinal chemistry platform.
These compounds constitute a library that could form a pipeline of
products for large, global markets.
Our first oral drug candidate, pafuramidine maleate (DB289), targets
three acute infectious diseases:
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) –a common life-threatening
opportunistic infection in AIDS and other immunosuppressed
patients such as those on chemotherapy or who have had
solid organ transplants
Trypanosomiasis –or African sleeping sickness – a parasitic
disease spread by tsetse flies in sub-Saharan Africa, threatening
60 million people in 36 countries
Malaria –a leading cause of death worldwide, killing over
one million people annually, with at least 300 million new
cases reported each year (according to the World
Health Organization)
Pafuramidine is currently in two separate Phase III human clinical trials
to treat PCP and Trypanosomiasis. Immtech is also conducting a
Phase IIb trial for malaria treatment, and a Phase II trial to determine
the appropriate dosing of pafuramidine to prevent malaria. We are
encouraged with the progress of our trials and anticipate a successful
transition from development to commercialization. Preclinical testing
of several new drug candidates to treat hepatitis C (HCV), bacterial
infections, and systemic fungal infections is in progress.
Scientific Consortium
Immtech’s Scientific Consortium is a unique and innovative alliance
with an esteemed group of scientists from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), Georgia State University, and other internationally
renowned universities and research institutes. The Scientific Consortium
is led by Dr. Richard Tidwell of UNC-CH. The consortium’s scientists have
designed and synthesized thousands of compounds to create a large and
diverse library. Immtech screens many of these compounds through a
wide variety of in vitro assays and in vivo models. Positive results from
these screens have provided the foundation for new discovery programs.
These capabilities and resources will ultimately enable Immtech to efficiently
bring forward new preclinical and clinical drug candidates. These discovery
efforts have generated lead optimization drug candidates for treating hepatitis C,
bacterial infections and systemic fungal infections.
Management Team
Eric L. Sorkin
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Sorkin has 25 years of making strategic investments and business development. He has been
affiliated with Immtech since 1998, when he became an investor. In 2000, Mr. Sorkin became a director
for the Company, and more recently was appointed Chairman of the Board and CEO. Mr. Sorkin began
his career on Wall Street in 1982 working at Dean Witter, which is now a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley,
and from an entry-level position, he was promoted to Managing Director within six years. He was among
the core group of professionals at the firm, which developed the firm’s investment portfolio with assets
of over USD $3 billion. Corporations, banks and entities with which Mr. Sorkin worked on completed
transactions included Aetna, International Paper, Continental Insurance, Barclays Banks, Chase Manhattan,
Harvard University, Southern Bell, Cigna, the State of Wisconsin, AIG, Modern Woodman of America,
Zurich American Life, and San Francisco City and County. Mr. Sorkin was responsible for investment
selection, negotiations, transaction and financial structuring, debt placement, and asset management.
Mr. Sorkin was Officer of over 20 public investment partnerships with investment funds totaling over
USD $1 billion. In 1993, Mr. Sorkin created his own investment firm and began making private equity
investments in the U.S. and in China. Mr. Sorkin graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics.
Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX: IMM) is focused on an
opportunity long ignored by large pharmaceutical companies: the
development and commercialization of oral drugs to treat infectious
diseases in the developed as well as the developing markets.
Infectious diseases affect billions of people, and the sales potentials
are substantial. Our proprietary medicinal chemistry platform has
yielded compounds with demonstrated activity against infectious
diseases and other disorders.
Our target markets are large:
Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP) – affects an estimated
one million adults and children and threatens 42 million
adults and children living with HIV/AIDS. The market for
treatment ranges between US$40 and US$50 million, with
an estimated US$1.0 billion for PCP prevention.
Trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness) – threatens
an estimated 60 million people in 36 countries in sub-Saharan
Africa. Targeted purchasers for treatments will be private
foundations and governments.
Malaria – infects at least 300 million people each year and
kills over a million people annually. The estimated annual
market potential is over US$1.0 billion for malaria prevention.
We are advancing efforts to commercialize our first drug candidate,
pafuramidine maleate (DB289), which is in two separate Phase III
clinical trials. We have also initiated a Phase II trial to determine the appropriate
dosing of pafuramidine to prevent malaria.
We are exploring collaborations for high-profile disease indications to
expedite drug development and commercialization.
We have capitalized on decades of public and private investment and
research efforts by our consortium of scientists who have developed
a medicinal chemistry platform and thousands of compounds covered
by patents to which we have an exclusive worldwide license.
We attract non-dilutive funding from the U.S. government and renowned
foundations, which recognize our potential to address severe global
health threats.
We have a clear path to progress from discovery and development to
sales and profitability. Pafuramidine is targeting diseases with urgent, unmet needs.
Current therapies have side effects or significant limitations.