Antisoma selects renal cancer, melanoma for phase 1 studies of AS1409

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Aug. 29 - Antisoma plc announced Tuesday that its forthcoming phase 1 trial of AS1409 will enroll patients with renal cancer and melanoma.

High levels of the drug's target are found in these cancers, officials said in a company news release.

AS1409 is a fusion protein with two components. One is the cytokine IL12, which is known to have anticancer effects. The other is an antibody that binds to EDB fibronectin, a protein associated with tumor blood vessels in a wide range of cancers.

Antisoma said AS1409 is designed to be a targeted therapy that delivers IL12 specifically to tumors.

Xenograft studies in mice with prostate, colorectal and skin cancers have shown that AS1409 blocks cancer growth more effectively than an equivalent dose of untargeted IL12. AS1409 also is expected to cause fewer side effects than IL12 alone, officials said.

AS1409 has potential against various tumors, officials said, but past clinical trials have suggested that melanoma and renal cancer are particularly sensitive to IL12. These cancers were tested for EDB fibronectin to assess the potential for targeting by AS1409. Samples from 15 melanoma and 20 renal cancer patients were clearly positive, showing these cancers to be suitable for the initial evaluation of the drug.

Antisoma is a London biopharmaceutical company focused on treating cancer.

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