COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq:ASND), a biopharmaceutical company that utilizes its innovative TransCon technology to address significant unmet medical needs, today announced a poster presentation on its TransCon technology at the annual meeting of the Controlled Release Society, taking place in New York City, July 22-24. The poster, titled “Meeting Unmet Needs:  The Sustained Release of Protein and Peptide Drugs,” was presented today and is available on the company’s website under Selected Publications in the Pipeline section.

“Our unique TransCon technology combines the pharmacologic benefits of prodrugs and the pharmacokinetic benefits of predictable sustained-release technologies into a single development platform, enabling us to create differentiated products with ‘best-in-class’ potential,” said Jan Mikkelsen, Ascendis Pharma’s President and Chief Executive Officer. 

He continued, “We have applied this platform to develop a diversified pipeline of rare disease endocrinology product candidates. Given our large library of linkers and carriers, and the ability to improve drug release rates to accommodate desirable dosing frequencies for both local and systemic administration, we now look forward to utilizing our TransCon technology in other therapeutic areas.”

Ascendis Pharma currently has three rare disease endocrinology product candidates in clinical development using the TransCon technology platform.

About Ascendis Pharma A/S

Ascendis Pharma is applying its innovative prodrug technology to build a leading, fully integrated rare disease company focused on making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. The company utilizes its TransCon technology with clinically validated parent drugs to create new therapies with potential for best-in-class efficacy, safety and/or convenience.

Ascendis Pharma has a wholly-owned pipeline of three rare disease endocrinology product candidates in clinical development. These include once-weekly TransCon Growth Hormone, which is being evaluated in a phase 3 program for children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD), TransCon PTH, a long-acting prodrug of parathyroid hormone for hypoparathyroidism for which a phase 1 trial has been completed, and TransCon CNP, a long-acting prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide, which is in phase 1 development for achondroplasia. 

Additionally, Ascendis Pharma has multi-product collaborations with Sanofi in diabetes and Genentech in the field of ophthalmology.

For more information, please visit www.ascendispharma.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding our future operations, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to (i) our ability to apply our prodrug technology to build a leading, fully integrated rare disease company, (ii) the potential for TransCon PTH to be a replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism, (iii) our expectations regarding our ability to create therapies with potential for best-in-class efficacy, safety and/or convenience, (iv) our product pipeline and (v) the utilization of our TransCon technology to other therapeutics areas. We may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make, including the following: unforeseen safety or efficacy results in our TransCon Growth Hormone, TransCon PTH and TransCon CNP or other development programs; unforeseen expenses related to the development of TransCon Growth Hormone, TransCon PTH and TransCon CNP or other development programs, general and administrative expenses, other research and development expenses and our business generally; delays in the development of TransCon Growth Hormone, TransCon PTH and TransCon CNP or other development programs related to manufacturing, regulatory requirements, speed of patient recruitment or other unforeseen delays; dependence on third party manufacturers to supply study drug for planned clinical studies; and our ability to obtain additional funding, if needed, to support our business activities. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to our business in general, see our current and future reports filed with, or submitted to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017, which we filed with the SEC on March 28, 2018. Forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future in-licensing, collaborations, acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments we may enter into or make. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Internal contact:
Scott T. Smith
Chief Financial Officer
(650) 352-8389
ir@ascendispharma.com

Media contact:
Ami Knoefler
Head of Global Communications
(650) 739-9952
ack@ascendispharma.com

Investor contact:
Patti BankWestwicke Partners
(415) 513-1284
patti.bank@westwicke.com