Aptose to Provide Program Updates at KOL Webinar on Thursday, June 2nd

SAN DIEGO and TORONTO, May 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptose Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APTO, TSX: APS), a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing highly differentiated oral kinase inhibitors to treat hematologic malignancies, today announced that it will host a key opinion leader (KOL) webinar on HM43239 and luxeptinib and their roles in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 4:30 pm Eastern Time.

The call will feature KOLs Brian Druker, M.D., of the Oregon Health & Science University, Naval G. Daver, M.D., of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Brian Andrew Jonas, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, Davis, who will discuss the current treatment landscape and unmet medical need in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia AML, as well as their experiences with Aptose's investigational therapies.

The Aptose leadership team also will provide a data update on their two potential treatments for patients with AML and B cell malignancies: HM43239, an oral genotype-agnostic small molecule inhibitor of a constellation of kinases operative in myeloid malignancies, and luxeptinib, an oral inhibitor of kinases operative in lymphoid and myeloid malignancies.

A question and answer session will follow the formal presentations. To register for the event, please click here.

Brian Druker, M.D., has devoted his career to improving the lives of cancer patients. For his contributions to medical research, Dr. Druker was nominated for the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 2009. Dr. Druker is most well-known for his role in developing Gleevec® for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Dr. Druker's other career milestones include being named a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator in 2002, becoming a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007, winning the Japan Award in 2011, and being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012. Dr. Druker received his Doctor of Medicine from the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, completed his residency in internal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and did an oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School.

From his earliest days, Dr. Druker was a dedicated researcher, winning the President's Undergraduate Research Award at the University of California, San Diego. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Medal of Honor from the American Cancer Society and many other awards.

Naval G. Daver, M.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson. He completed his medical school from Grant Medical College and Sir J group of Hospitals Mumbai, followed by a residency and fellowship in hematology-oncology from Baylor College of Medicine. He is a clinical investigator with a focus on molecular and immune therapies in AML and Myelofibrosis and is principal investigator on >25 ongoing institutional, national and international clinical trials in these diseases. These trials focus on developing a personalized therapy approach by targeting specific mutations or immune pathways expressed by patients with AML, evaluating novel combinations of targeted, immune and cytotoxic agents, and identifying and overcoming mechanism of resistance. He is especially interested in developing monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, immune checkpoint and vaccine based approaches in AML, MDS, and myelofibrosis and is leading a number of these trials at MD Anderson. Dr. Daver has published >150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is on the editorial board of numerous hematology specific journals. He has also authored numerous abstracts at national and international conferences.

Brian A. Jonas, MD, PhD, FACP is an Associate Professor and clinician scientist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC), where he specializes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and other hematologic malignancies. He received his medical degree and PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from UC Davis School of Medicine and completed his internship, residency, and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Jonas leads the UCDCCC clinical and translational research program in AML, MDS, and ALL, with an emphasis on early drug development. He is PI on several clinical trials, including multiple investigator-initiated trials and ETCTN trials. He chairs the UCDCCC Hematological Malignancies Working Group and is Chair of the UCDCCC Data and Safety Monitoring Committee. He serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network panels for AML, MDS and ALL.

About Aptose

Aptose Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing personalized therapies addressing unmet medical needs in oncology, with an initial focus on hematology. The Company's small molecule cancer therapeutics pipeline includes products designed to provide single agent efficacy and to enhance the efficacy of other anti-cancer therapies and regimens without overlapping toxicities. The Company has two clinical-stage investigational products under development for hematologic malignancies: HM43239, an oral, myeloid kinome inhibitor in an international Phase 1/2 trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML); and luxeptinib, an oral, dual lymphoid and myeloid kinome inhibitor in a Phase 1 a/b trial in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies who have failed or are intolerant to standard therapies, and in a separate Phase 1 a/b trial in patients with relapsed or refractory AML or high risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). For more information, please visit www.aptose.com.