Contact: Jill Byrd, (210) 450-5550

Monica Mita, M.D., is principal investigator of the study at the I.D.D. and an assistant professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the UT Health Science Center.
Printer Friendly Format

SAN ANTONIO (April 11, 2008) — The Institute for Drug Development (I.D.D.), a division of The Cancer Therapy & Research Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, announced the results of a new Phase I clinical study on NPI-2358, a targeted anticancer drug designed to rapidly disrupt blood flow to the tumor.

The new intravenous therapy weakens the cells in the blood vessels leading to the tumor, eventually killing the cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells unharmed. The data was presented April 11 during the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (A.A.C.R.) in San Diego, Calif.

Results of the study showed that the novel anticancer agent NPI-2358 was well tolerated by patients who had solid tumors and lymphoma. The minimal side effects including intermittent nausea, fever, tumor pain and temporary hypertension, demonstrated a successful drug effect stabilizing the tumor growth.

The study, “Phase I Dose Escalation Trial with DCE-MRI Imaging of the Novel Vascular Disrupting Agent NPI-2358,” was authored by Monica Mita, M.D., and her colleagues at I.D.D., Virtual Scopics Inc., Northwestern Medical Specialties, Karmanos Cancer Institute and Nereus Pharmaceuticals.

“This vascular-disrupting agent produces a rapid and selective shutdown of the established tumor vasculature. Other compounds with the same mechanism of action are also currently in clinical development and demonstrated clinical benefit as single agents and also in combination with chemotherapy agents,” said Dr. Mita, is principal investigator of the study at the I.D.D. and an assistant professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the UT Health Science Center. “NPI-2358 is well tolerated and demonstrated promising results in patients with advanced solid tumors. Clinical studies with NPI-2358 as a single agent and in combination are ongoing.”

NPI-2358 underwent preclinical testing at I.D.D. This research demonstrated that the agent strengthens the effects of many other chemotherapy agents. The preclinical data suggested that the blood flow to the tumor continued to be reduced 24 hours after receiving the drug.

###

The Cancer Therapy & Research Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, located in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the nation’s leading academic research and treatment centers, serving more than 4.4 million people in the high-growth corridor of Central and South Texas including Austin, San Antonio, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley. CTRC is one of a few elite cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Cancer Center, and is one of only three in Texas. CTRC handles more than 120,000 patient visits each year and is a world leader in developing new drugs to treat cancer. The CTRC Institute for Drug Development (IDD) is internationally recognized for conducting the largest oncology Phase I clinical drug trials program in the world. The I.D.D. has participated in the clinical and/or preclinical development of many of the cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. For more information, visit www.ctrc.uthscsa.edu.