LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 18, 2012-- Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) today announced that interim results from the Company’s Phase 2b/3 GALAXY Trial will be presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology 2012 Congress held in Vienna, Austria from September 28 to October 2, 2012. The poster, “The GALAXY Trial (NCT01348126): A randomized IIB/III study of ganetespib (STA-9090) in combination with docetaxel versus docetaxel alone as second line therapy in patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC,” will be presented by Suresh Ramalingam, MD, Associate Professor, Hematology & Medical Oncology, and Director, Translational Thoracic Malignancies Program, of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. The poster session is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (local time).

Investor Reception

Synta will also be hosting an Investor Reception on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time to discuss the interim results of the GALAXY trial. The event will include management presentations and discussion with key opinion leaders, followed by a question and answer session.

The reception will be webcast beginning at 6:30 PM CEST, which along with an accompanying slide presentation and replay of the event, will be available on the home page and "Investors" section of the Company's website, www.syntapharma.com.

About Ganetespib

Ganetespib is a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) that is structurally unrelated to first-generation, ansamycin-related Hsp90 inhibitors. In preclinical experiments, ganetespib has shown activity in multiple tumor models both as a single agent and in combination with certain widely used cancer agents. Company-sponsored clinical trials with ganetespib include 1) the GALAXY Phase 2b/3 trial evaluating ganetespib in combination with docetaxel as second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 2) the CHIARA™ Phase 2 trial evaluating ganetespib monotherapy in ALK+ NSCLC, and 3) the ENCHANT™ Phase 2 trial evaluating ganetespib as first-line treatment for HER2+ and triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. In addition, ganetespib is being evaluated in investigator-sponsored trials including lung, breast, prostate, gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers as well as ocular melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma. Information on these trials can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About the GALAXY™ Trial

The GALAXY (Ganetespib Assessment in Lung cAncer with docetaXel) trial is a randomized Phase 2b/3 trial comparing the combination of ganetespib and docetaxel versus docetaxel alone in patients with Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who have received one prior systemic therapy. More information about the GALAXY trial can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01348126).

About Hsp90

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone required for the proper folding and activation of many cancer-promoting proteins, and is recognized as a key facilitator of cancer cell growth and survival. Many of the “client proteins” of Hsp90 – such as ALK, AKT, BCR-ABL, BRAF, KIT, MET, EGFR, FLT3, HER2, HIF-1alpha, PDGFRA, VEGFR are the targets of clinically validated cancer drugs. In preclinical studies, inhibiting Hsp90 causes the degradation of multiple client proteins and leads to cancer cell death.

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.

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.
George Farmer, 781-541-7125