Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company commercializing potential best in class oncology and central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics, announced the results of an animal study that further demonstrates the company's phase-II oncology drug, Archexin, as having the potential to target and treat multiple life-threatening cancers.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Christian University and Rexahn discovered that AKT1 antisense oligonucleotide (AKT1 AO), the primary compound in Rexahn's Archexin, significantly reduced the expression of AKT1 and inhibited the growth of human cancer cells at the cellular level and in in-vivo models. AKT1 is known to promote cell survival and is therefore implicated in tumor growth in a wide range of cancers.

The study to be published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry on November 1, 2009 (Volume 108, pages 832-838 in Issue 4), also found that the combined treatment of AKT1 AO with cytotoxic drugs showed even greater anti-tumor activity in human renal carcinoma cell line. The findings of the study suggest that AKT1 AO, alone or in combination with other clinically approved anticancer agents, should be further explored and progressed into clinical studies as a potential novel therapeutic agent.

"Archexin is a first-in-class, potent AKT protein kinase inhibitor with the potential to inhibit cancer cell survival and proliferation, angiogenesis and drug resistance," said Dr Deog Joong Kim, a key author of the publication and R&D director of Rexahn. "In March 2009, we initiated Archexin's phase-II Pancreatic Cancer clinical trial and we expect to receive the preliminary data in humans in 2010."