23 Oct Quintessence Biosciences projects 2008 clinical trials for lead cancer drug
San Francisco, Calif. – The lead cancer therapy of the Madison-based Quintessence Biosciences remains on track for a Phase I clinical trial beginning in early 2008, the company announced.
The clinical trials, subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration review, would test the efficacy of the drug, also known as QBI-139. The anticancer agent is based on the company’s EVade ribonuclease technology, which provides an opportunity to attack RNA, a new cancer drug target.
In preclinical disease models, Quintessence CEO Ralph Kauten said that QBI-139 has demonstrated an exceptional safety profile and outstanding tumor growth inhibition, in vivo, against human pancreatic, non-small cell lung, and prostate cancer, and against ovarian solid tumors.
Of approximately 40 different EVade ribonucleases tested to date, QBI-139 had the broadest efficacy in multiple tumor lines and has shown that it will be well tolerated by patients.
“The toxicology results for QBI-139 strongly support continued development of this drug candidate,” Kauten said in a release.
Information about QBI-139 was presented by Dr. Laura Strong, president and chief operating officer of Quintessence Biosciences, during the recent International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in San Francisco.
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