Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. has announced the publication of data from a preclinical study demonstrating the combination of INGN 241, Introgen's mda-7/IL-24 cancer product candidate, and Velcade (Bortezemib) resulted in increased tumour cell killing in human ovarian cancer cells.
The results from the study appeared in an advanced on-line article in Cancer Gene Therapy and provide a new molecularly targeted approach to specifically destroy cancer cells. The research was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Rajagopal Ramesh, associate professor in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre.
"This study shows that prolonging expression and function of tumour suppressor therapies, such as INGN 241, results in increased destruction of cancer cells. Having discovered a fundamental facet of MDA-7 regulation advances the goal of being able to defeat ways that cancer cells survive, enabling us to outsmart them," said Dr. Ramesh.
Researchers identified the degradation pathway for the MDA-7 tumour suppressor protein that is the active component of INGN 241. They showed that co-administration of INGN 241 and Velcade, a known protein degradation inhibitor, further elevated MDA-7 protein levels and caused a significant increase in killing of ovarian cancer cells. Velcade is also known to prolong expression of other tumour suppressor proteins such as p53.
Late last year, Introgen announced the worldwide, exclusive license to a family of patent applications, one of which covers the combination of Introgen's tumour suppressor product candidates and proteasome inhibitors, which can increase therapeutic functionality, such as Velcade (bortezemib).
INGN 241 utilizes the mda-7/IL-24 tumour suppressor and targets several key pathways that impact the development, growth, and metastasis of cancer cells. INGN 241 has been shown to have potent anti-angiogenic activity and works by inhibiting the production of a key blood vessel growth protein termed vascular endothelial growth factor. INGN 241 is being tested in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients suffering from advanced melanoma and in a Phase 3 clinical trial in combination with radiation therapy in solid tumours. Mda-7 was discovered in the laboratory of Dr Paul B. Fisher, professor of clinical pathology at Columbia University. Introgen holds an exclusive worldwide sublicense to the Columbia University rights for all gene therapy applications from GlaxoSmithKline.
Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of targeted tumour suppressors, a new class of therapies for the treatment of cancer. Introgen's technology delivers targeted molecular therapies that increase production of normal cancer-fighting proteins and cytokines. The company is developing a proprietary pipeline of product candidates utilizing molecular biomarkers to identify patients most likely to benefit from its therapies, which target central cancer-causing mechanisms.
Advexin, its lead product candidate, targets abnormal p53, a fundamental cancer defect present in over 50 per cent of all tumours. Introgen is analysing its phase III clinical trial for recurrent head and neck cancer using Advexin as a monotherapy. The company plans to complete regulatory filings in both the United States and in Europe by the end of 2007.