Case involving senior dosimetrist at a premier cancer hospital in the Northeast suggests potential relevance of Phyto-N in one of oncology’s most serious and underserved supportive-care markets

Jericho, New York, April 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curanex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CURX) (“Curanex” or the “Company”), a pharmaceutical development company focused on advancing therapeutic assets for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need, today highlighted a patient case study that management believes further supports the Company’s strategic interest in treatment of cancer cachexia, a serious cancer-associated wasting syndrome marked by progressive weight loss, muscle depletion, weakness and declining physical function.

The case involved “Johnny,” a senior dosimetrist at a premier cancer hospital in the Northeast, who was under the care of physicians at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (“MSK”) for a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. According to records authorized by the patient for Company use, Johnny had previously undergone surgery for kidney cancer and later underwent MR Cholangiogram follow-up imaging at MSK in connection with that diagnosis. During the course of his disease, he experienced substantial physical decline, including poor overall condition, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, worsening pain after meals, frequent urination and other symptoms associated with serious disease burden.

Following use of Phyto-N, the patient reported meaningful symptomatic improvement within approximately one month, including increased energy, normalization of complexion, resolution of urinary frequency and disappearance of abdominal pain. Follow-up laboratory testing approximately three months later showed substantial improvement in previously elevated pancreatic biomarkers and related measures. Serum amylase improved from 191 to 90, returning to the normal range of 28 to 100. Serum lipase improved from 298 to 52, returning to the normal range of 13 to 60. Triglycerides improved from 164 to 77, while HDL and LDL levels returned to normal ranges. Follow-up MRI later indicated stable disease, including unchanged main ductal dilatation up to 0.6 cm and an unchanged 0.8 cm hypervascular mass. According to the case report, the patient was able to continue normal daily activities and work for more than two years before ultimately undergoing surgical resection at MSK.

“As someone working in cancer care and also going through treatment myself, I understood how devastating physical decline can be for patients,” said Johnny. “Before I started on Phyto-N, I was extremely weak and couldn’t perform normal functions we normally take for granted, even controlling frequent urination. Afterwards, not only did my quality of life improve, but I was even able to play golf again. For me, the most meaningful change was regaining the strength and function I needed to continue my cancer journey, keep working and live my daily life with greater stability.”

Management believes the broader significance of this case may extend beyond the individual tumor setting because one of the most devastating consequences of advanced cancer is cachexia, a multifactorial wasting syndrome that can sharply reduce strength, physical function, quality of life and the ability to remain on treatment. The National Cancer Institute describes cancer cachexia as a wasting syndrome involving weakness, fatigue, and loss of skeletal muscle and fat, and estimates it can occur in up to 80% of people with advanced cancer, depending on tumor type and treatment response. Cancer cachexia is especially common in advanced pancreatic cancer.

The condition is easiest to recognize through the severe physical wasting often associated with advanced pancreatic cancer. Public awareness of that decline was heightened during Steve Jobs’ battle with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, a rare form of pancreatic cancer. While cachexia was not publicly established as part of his diagnosis, his case helped illustrate the devastating physical deterioration that can accompany advanced cancer and the ongoing lack of effective treatment options for patients facing severe cancer-related wasting.

Despite the seriousness of the condition, treatment options remain limited. The National Cancer Institute has stated that there are currently no approved therapies in the United States specifically for cancer cachexia. Current disease management has generally focused on supportive care and symptom management, while pharmacologic options historically have included only limited, short-term use of agents such as corticosteroids in selected patients.

Curanex believes that any therapy capable of helping patients maintain body weight, strength, appetite and functional status could be clinically meaningful not only from a quality-of-life perspective, but also because patients in better overall condition may be better positioned to continue receiving anticancer treatment. The Company believes this potential supportive-care role could be especially important in patients whose disease course is complicated by wasting, weakness and declining physical resilience.

“This case is important to us because it reflects more than tumor-related observations alone,” said Jun Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Curanex. “It highlights the possibility that our program may have relevance in one of the most difficult and underserved areas in oncology: helping patients maintain body weight, physical condition and quality of life while fighting serious cancer. If future research supports those observations, we believe the opportunity in cancer cachexia could be both medically important and commercially significant.”

Curanex has expanded its strategic development focus to include cancer cachexia, which management believes represents one of the largest unmet needs in supportive oncology. The Company has noted that cancer cachexia aligns with its broader focus on serious diseases involving inflammation, metabolic disruption and physical decline. Curanex’s lead program, Phyto-N, is currently advancing through preclinical studies in preparation for a planned Investigational New Drug (“IND”) submission for ulcerative colitis, while the Company also evaluates broader therapeutic opportunities intended to expand its long-term pipeline.

Curanex cautions that this report reflects the experience of a single patient, represents an individual outcome only, and does not establish safety or efficacy or predict similar outcomes in other patients. The Company believes, however, that the case provides a clinically relevant real-world signal that may help inform future development priorities in cancer cachexia and related supportive-care settings.

About Curanex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Curanex Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a pharmaceutical development company headquartered in Jericho, New York. The Company is focused on advancing therapeutic assets for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need. Its lead asset, Phyto-N, is currently being developed for ulcerative colitis and is being advanced through preclinical and IND-enabling activities in support of a planned IND submission in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Company is also evaluating broader pipeline opportunities intended to expand its long-term therapeutic platform.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors to read “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K dated March 30, 2026 ( Inline Viewer: CURANEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC 10-K 2025-12-31 ) and risk factors contained in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to gain understanding of the important factors that could cause actual results differ materially from the anticipated results and projections about future events contained in this press release.

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Curanex Pharmaceuticals Inc
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