TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare physicians open Phase 2 clinical
trial at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center
June 13, 2012
An investigational drug that acts like a Trojan Horse to deliver
cancer killing agents for pancreatic cancer is being studied at the
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials, a partnership
between Scottsdale Healthcare and the Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen) that treats cancer patients with
promising new drugs.
The Phase 2 clinical trial tests the effectiveness and safety of
INNO-206 in patients with advanced pancreatic ductual
adenocarcinomas (PDA) who have not responded to prior standard
treatment. PDA is a malignant tumor arising from the duct cells
within a gland in the pancreas, and represents about 80 percent of
all pancreatic cancers.
Pancreatic cancer is extremely difficult to treat and the fourth
most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., with more
than 43,000 new cases reported in 2010 and 37,000 deaths attributed
to this disease each year. Tumors may grow in the pancreas without
any early symptoms, which means that the disease is often in an
advanced stage when it is diagnosed.
"The drug's effectiveness works like a Trojan Horse because it is
prepared in albumin which pancreatic cancer likes to eat, thereby
transporting the drug into the cancer cells and destroying them,"
said Jasgit Sachdev, M.D., of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center
Clinical Trials.
Preclinical results showing the drug induced complete tumor
remissions in the laboratory were presented at the American
Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2012 Annual Meeting.
"We are encouraged by early study results and looking forward to
the next step in evaluating the activity and safety of INNO-26 in
patients with advanced pancreatic ductual adenocarcinomas," said
Dr. Ramesh Ramanathan, Medical Director of Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center Clinical Trials, and Clinical Professor and Deputy Director
of the Clinical Translational Research Division at TGen.
Los Angeles-based CytRx holds the worldwide rights to INNO-206,
which is a tumor-targeted conjugate of the widely used
chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. INNO-206 has been granted
orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials at Scottsdale
Healthcare is a co-lead site for the Stand Up to Cancer Pancreatic
Cancer Dream Team, comprised of scientists working collaboratively
to develop new treatments for pancreatic cancer.
The Phase 2 clinical trial will enroll up to 27 patients at
multiple clinical sites in the U.S. The trial patients will be
treated with intravenously administered INNO-206 once every three
weeks for up to eight cycles. Trial patients will be evaluated for
complete and partial tumor responses, side effects and overall
survival.
Individuals seeking information about eligibility to participate in
clinical trials at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at
Scottsdale Healthcare may contact the cancer care coordinator at
480-323-1339; toll free at 1-877-273-3713 or via email at
[email protected].
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About the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale
Healthcare
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare opened
in 2001 as the first major cancer center in greater Phoenix,
offering comprehensive cancer care and research through Phase I
clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support
services in collaboration with leading researchers and community
oncologists. The Scottsdale Healthcare cancer program holds
Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer of
the American College of Surgeons. Scottsdale Healthcare is the
nonprofit parent organization of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research
Institute, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale
Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson
Peak Hospital. For more information, visit www.shc.org.
Press Contact:
Jamie Houston
Public Relations Coordinator
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center
480-323-1387
[email protected]
*
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. For more
information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
About CytRx Corporation
CytRx Corporation is a biopharmaceutical research and development
company specializing in oncology. The CytRx oncology pipeline
includes three programs in clinical development for cancer
indications: INNO-206, tamibarotene and bafetinib. With its
tumor-targeted doxorubicin conjugate INNO-206, CytRx has initiated
an international Phase 2b clinical trial as a treatment for soft
tissue sarcomas, is completing its ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical
trial primarily in the same indication, and plans to initiate a
Phase 2 trial for patients with advanced pancreatic ductual
adenocarcinomas in the first half of 2012. CytRx's pipeline also
includes tamibarotene, which it is testing in a double-blind,
placebo-controlled, international Phase 2b clinical trial in
patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, and which is in a
clinical trial as a treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia
(APL). The Company is evaluating bafetinib in the ENABLE Phase 2
clinical trial in high-risk B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(B-CLL), and plans to seek a partner for further development of
bafetinib. For more information about the Company, visit
www.cytrx.com.
