LONDON, Sept. 6, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Cancer drug developer Antisoma (LSE:ASM) announces that it has reopened a U.S. phase I trial of its aptamer drug AS1411 following the presentation of promising data at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. The study is now enrolling patients with renal and non-small cell lung cancers. Signs of anti-cancer activity were seen in all of the three renal cancer patients included in the original trial, and Antisoma has recently been granted U.S. orphan drug status for AS1411 in renal cancer.
The Principal Investigator in the phase I study, Dr. Damian Laber of the Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky, commented: "We are delighted to be treating more patients with AS1411, and have seen significant interest following the publicity about the earlier findings from the trial."
Antisoma's CEO Glyn Edwards said: "Reopening the AS1411 phase I trial will expedite the development of this important drug and gives us an opportunity to seek further evidence of anti-cancer activity in renal cancer, where initial data were particularly exciting."
Except for the historical information presented, certain matters discussed in this statement are forward looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties may be associated with product discovery and development, including statements regarding the company's clinical development programmes, the expected timing of clinical trials and regulatory filings. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially.
Notes to Editors
AS1411
AS1411 is an aptamer, an oligonucleotide that can fold into a stable, three-dimensional structure capable of interacting with a particular target protein. AS1411 binds to the protein nucleolin, which is found on the surface of cancer cells. It is then internalised and has been shown to kill cancer cells in a range of models. Promising signs of anticancer activity were reported at ASCO 2005 from a phase I clinical trial of 17 patients with a variety of cancers conducted at the Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky. This study has now been reopened to recruit patients with renal and lung cancers only, to reach a total of 40 patients. The reopened study is taking place at centres in the USA, led by the Brown Cancer Center.
Background on Antisoma
Based in London, U.K., Antisoma is a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel products for the treatment of cancer. Antisoma fills its development pipeline by acquiring promising new product candidates from internationally recognised academic or cancer research institutions. Its core activity is the preclinical and clinical development of these drug candidates. In 2002, Antisoma formed a broad strategic alliance with Roche to develop and commercialise products from Antisoma's pipeline. Please visit www.antisoma.com for further information about Antisoma.