Kosan names lead Hsp90 inhibitor compounds

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Aug. 22 - Kosan Biosciences Inc. announced Tuesday the selection of nonproprietary compound names for its two lead Hsp90 inhibitor compounds.

KOS-953 is named tanespimycin and KOS-1022 is named alvespimycin hydrochloride.

The compound names have been adopted by the U.S. Adopted Names Council and the World Health Organization, according to a company news release.

Tanespimycin is the most advanced Hsp90 inhibitor in clinical trials. The compound is in a phase 1b trial in combination with Velcade for multiple myeloma and is in a phase 1 trial as a single agent in multiple myeloma, officials said.

Tanespimycin also is being evaluated in a phase 2 combination trial with Herceptin for breast cancer and in a phase 2 single-agent trial in melanoma.

Kosan said its potential registration strategy for tanespimycin is for treatment of multiple myeloma in combination with Velcade in first-relapsed patients.

In the phase 1b trial of tanespimycin plus Velcade, some patients who previously failed on Velcade have responded to treatment with the combination, providing another potential treatment option for refractory patients. Kosan could potentially begin a phase 2/3 registrational development program for tanespimycin in the late 2006 to early 2007 timeframe.

Tanespimycin has been granted orphan drug status in multiple myeloma in the United States and Europe, officials said.

Alvespimycin hydrochloride, Kosan's second-generation Hsp90 inhibitor, has shown enhanced potency and ease of formulation with potentially more favorable dosing for solid tumors.

Intravenous and oral formulations of alvespimycin are being evaluated in phase 1 trials and intravenous alvespimycin also is being evaluated in a phase 1/ 2 trial in combination with Herceptin.

The company said it also anticipates evaluating alvespimycin in combination with Herceptin plus a taxane in metastatic breast cancer.

The USAN Council (tri-sponsored by the American Medical Association, the United States Pharmacopeia Convention and the American Pharmacists Association, aims for global standardization and unification of drug nomenclature and related rules to ensure that drug information is communicated accurately and unambiguously, working closely with the International Nonproprietary Name program of the World Health Organization, and various national nomenclature groups.

Kosan is a Hayward, Calif., biotechnology company.

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