LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 25, 2013-- Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) announced today that the Company will host an investor reception and webcast to discuss the development of its lead drug candidate, ganetespib, for the treatment of lung and breast cancers at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECCO-ESMO-ESTRO), which is taking place September 27 – October 1 in Amsterdam.

The investor event will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2013, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. CEST (12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT), and will include discussion of upcoming milestones for the remainder of the year.

The reception will be webcast beginning at 7:00 p.m. CEST (1:00 p.m. EDT), which along with an accompanying slide presentation and replay of the event, will be available on the home page of the Company's website, www.syntapharma.com.

About Ganetespib

Ganetespib, an investigational drug candidate, is a selective inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a molecular chaperone which controls the folding and activation of a number of client proteins that drive tumor development and progression. Many solid and hematologic tumors are dependent on Hsp90 client proteins including proteins involved in “oncogene addiction” (ALK, HER2, mutant BRAF and EGFR, androgen receptor, estrogen receptor, JAK2); proteins involved in resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy (ATR, BCL2, BRCA1/2, CDK1/4, CHK1, survivin, and WEE1); proteins involved in angiogenesis (HIF-1alpha, VEGFR, PDFGR, and VEGF); and proteins involved in metastasis (MET, RAF, AKT, MMPs, HIF-1alpha, and IGF-1R). In preclinical models, inhibition of Hsp90 by ganetespib results in the inactivation, destabilization, and eventual degradation of these cancer-promoting proteins. Ganetespib is being evaluated in trials in lung cancer, breast cancer, and other tumor types. The most common adverse event seen to date has been transient, mild or moderate diarrhea, which has been manageable with standard supportive care. Information on these trials can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov. Ganetespib has received Fast Track designation from FDA for second-line treatment of non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma in combination with docetaxel.

About the GALAXY Program

The GALAXY (Ganetespib Assessment in Lung cancer with docetaXel) program consists of two randomized trials comparing the combination of ganetespib and docetaxel versus docetaxel alone in patients with Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who have received one prior systemic therapy: a 300-patient Phase 2b/3 trial (GALAXY-1) to determine the patient population most likely to derive benefit from ganetespib, and a 500-patient confirmatory Phase 3 trial (GALAXY-2). More information about the GALAXY trials can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01348126 and NCT01798485).

About the ENCHANT-1 Clinical Trial

ENCHANT-1 is a proof-of-concept, ”window-of-opportunity” trial designed to evaluate single-agent ganetespib safety and clinical activity in locally advanced or first-line metastatic HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer. The trial will also evaluate the combination of ganetespib with paclitaxel. More information about this trial can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01677455).

About Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, accounting for nearly 1.4 million deaths in 2008, according to the World Health Organization. The five-year survival rate for this disease is approximately 16%; over half of people with lung cancer die within one year of being diagnosed. In the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates that 228,000 cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2013. Non-small cell adenocarcinoma comprises about 40% of all lung cancer.

About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women, accounting for 458,000 deaths worldwide in 2008, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates that about 297,000 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2013. Breast cancer is often characterized in the context of three biomarkers: ER/PR positive, HER2-positive, or negative for all three (triple-negative). Standard treatment for the first two categories includes therapies targeting hormonal or HER2 signaling pathways. There are no established targeted therapies for patients with triple-negative disease, which accounts for approximately 15% of all breast cancer and is associated with poor patient prognosis.

About Synta Pharmaceuticals

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to extend and enhance the lives of patients with severe medical conditions, including cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Synta has a unique chemical compound library, an integrated discovery engine, and a diverse pipeline of clinical- and preclinical-stage drug candidates with distinct mechanisms of action and novel chemical structures. All Synta drug candidates were invented by Synta scientists using our compound library and discovery capabilities. For more information, please visit www.syntapharma.com.

Source: Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.

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