Vion Pharmaceuticals Inc has initiated a new Phase 2 trial of Triapine in combination with gemcitabine in patients with metastatic or advanced pancreatic cancer. Enrollment of patients began at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee under the direction of Dr. Howard Burris.

Data from a Phase 1 trial of Triapine and gemcitabine will be presented in a poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in June 2003. Vion recently initiated a similar Phase 2 trial of Triapine and gemcitabine in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Triapine is designed to be a potent inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase, an enzyme important for DNA synthesis. Gemcitabine is sold under the brand name Gemzar by Eli Lilly & Company.