CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Jan. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:DFFN) (“Diffusion” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on extending the life expectancy of cancer patients, today announced that David Kalergis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present an overview of the Company and recent advancements of its lead product candidate, trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), at the 10th Annual Biotech Showcase™ Conference to be held on January 8–10, 2018 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel.

Mr. Kalergis is scheduled to present on Monday, January 8, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time.

The presentation will be webcast live and available only during the time of the Company’s live presentation. To access the live webcast, investors may visit the investor relations section of Diffusion Pharmaceuticals website at www.diffusionpharma.com.

About Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on extending the life expectancy of cancer patients by improving the effectiveness of current standard-of-care (SOC) treatments including radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Diffusion is developing its lead product candidate, trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), for use in cancers where tumor hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) diminishes the effectiveness of SOC treatments. TSC targets the cancer's hypoxic micro-environment, re-oxygenating treatment-resistant tissue and making the cancer cells more vulnerable to the therapeutic effects of SOC treatments without the apparent addition of any serious side effects.

A Phase 3 randomized, controlled registration trial with TSC and SOC chemotherapy and radiation compared with SOC alone in 236 newly diagnosed, inoperable glioblastoma multiforme patients, is now open for enrollment. The trial, which has been named INTACT (INvestigating Tsc Against Cancerous Tumors), was preceded by a Phase 2 clinical program completed in the fourth quarter of 2015 that evaluated 59 patients with newly-diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain cancer. This open-label, historically controlled study demonstrated a favorable safety and efficacy profile for TSC combined with SOC, including a 36% improvement in overall survival compared with the control group at two years. A particularly strong efficacy signal was seen in the subset of inoperable patients where survival of TSC-treated patients at two years was nearly four-fold higher compared with the controls.

Due to its novel mechanism of action, TSC has safely re-oxygenated a range of tumor types in preclinical and clinical studies. Diffusion believes its therapeutic potential is not limited to one specific tumor type, thereby making it potentially useful to improve SOC treatments of other life-threatening cancers. Given TSC's safety profile and animal data, Diffusion believes that, with appropriate funding support, it can move directly into Phase 2 studies in other cancers. The Company also believes that TSC has potential application in other indications involving hypoxia, such as neurodegenerative diseases and emergency medicine. For example, a stroke program is now under discussion with doctors from the University of California in Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and the University of Virginia, with whom Diffusion has established a joint team developing a program to test TSC, with an in-ambulance trial of TSC in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke under consideration. Planning for such a trial is ongoing.

Contacts:
David Kalergis, CEO
Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(434) 220-0718
dkalergis@diffusionpharma.com
or
LHA Investor Relations
Kim Sutton Golodetz
(212) 838-3777
kgolodetz@lhai.com