Geron starts clinical trial for telomerase inhibitor drug in solid tumors

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., April 3 - Geron Corp. said it has started clinical testing of its lead anticancer compound, GRN163L, a telomerase inhibitor, in patients with solid tumor malignancies.

The phase 1 dose-escalation trial of GRN163L is designed to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of GRN163L administered intravenously on a weekly basis in patients with refractory or relapsed solid tumor malignancies.

Geron said the study will also evaluate the tolerability of IV infusions of GRN163L at various rates of administration with a secondary endpoint of antitumor activity of GRN163L in the patient population, according to a news release.

The trial is open for patient enrollment at The University of Chicago, under the leadership of principal investigator Mark Ratain.

Preclinical studies of GRN163L alone, and in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, show the importance of telomerase as a target for the treatment of cancer, officials said.

Geron said a phase 1/2 clinical trial of GRN163L is also ongoing in patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Geron is a Menlo Park, Calif.-based biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes products for oncology and chronic diseases.

© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.