PharmaGap Inc (PharmaGap) has been advised by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) that the company's lead cancer drug GAP-107B8 (formerly known as PhG-alpha-1) has demonstrated sufficient anti-proliferative effect in the NCI's initial single dose assay to warrant examination in an expanded 'dose response' assay in which the compound will be evaluated against the NCI-60 cancer cell panel at five concentration levels.

The NCI has further advised that the threshold for progression to the dose response assay is based on results in the single dose assay in comparison with historical data of compounds screened by the NCI that were of sufficient interest for review by the NCI's DTP Biological Evaluation Committee. The NCI-60 protocol tests a wide variety of cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, kidney, prostate, leukaemia and various central nervous system cancers and melanomas.

The company has not yet received the data from the single line screen for analysis, and accordingly cannot provide further comment until such data is received and analyzed. The company will announce the full results and interpretation of data following receipt of data from the NCI.

The company provides this update in advance of receipt of full test data in order to ensure full compliance with the company's continuous disclosure obligations, in light of recent market activity in the company's shares.

The NCI is an institute of the National Institutes of Health, the primary US Federal Agency for conducting and supporting medical research.

PharmaGap Inc, based in Ottawa, is a biotechnology company with a core focus on developing novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of cancer.