PXD101, a small molecule histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, is under clinical trial for liver cancer and for mutiple myeloma in combination with Velcade®.
Last week, CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN) and TopoTarget A/S (Public, CPH: TOPO) initiated the patient dosing of PXD101 in a Phase I clinical trial in combination with azacitidine for the treatment of advanced hematologic malignancies.
The said Phase 1 clinical trial is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under a Clinical Trials Agreement with CuraGen for the development of PXD101.
The study is designed to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and safety profile of PXD101 in combination with azacitidine for patients with advanced hematologic cancers, including relapsed or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
According to Dr. Olatoyosi Odenike, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL. who led the study:
"Both PXD101 and azacitidine are believed to have different effects in restoring normal gene expression in cancer cells either through de-repression or upregulation. We are therefore quite interested in evaluating these agents in combination in order to determine whether additive or synergistic effects against certain hematologic cancers can be achieved.”Read the full press release.
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