Chemokine Therapeutics Corp., a biotechnology company developing peptide-based therapies to treat cancer, blood disorders, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases, has announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan-drug designation to CTCE-9908 for the treatment of osteogenic sarcoma, a bone cancer that occurs in children and young adults.

The company has designed CTCE-9908 to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer, with the potential for use with existing therapies (chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation) to improve treatment outcomes. A recently completed Phase I study demonstrated that healthy adults tolerated a single intravenous administration without any significant toxicity. The company has scheduled a Phase Ib/II study, initially in adults with several types of cancer, to commence in the fourth quarter of 2005.

“With an orphan-drug designation assigned to CTCE-9908 for osteogenic sarcoma, our Company may benefit from the availability of additional regulatory and clinical resources as we develop a novel approach to the treatment of cancer,” Dr. Hassan Salari, president and CEO of Chemokine Therapeutics said adding, “Our hope is that CTCE-9908 can be given to a cancer patient undergoing established treatments to prevent cancer from re-establishing itself in new sites in the body.”

Cytostatic drugs are newer drugs designed with a mechanism-based approach to slow the progression of disease. Cancer drugs such as Avastin, Tarceva and Herceptin are examples of approved cytostatic drugs. They are most effective when used in combination with cytotoxic drugs - traditional chemotherapy drugs which kill cancer cells. CTCE-9908 is also a cytostatic drug. The company believes that CTCE-9908 interrupts cancer spread and growth by interfering with major pathways in cancer metastasis.