SGX Pharma compounds may prevent treatment resistance in leukemia patients

By Angela McDaniels

Seattle, Feb. 15 - SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it has discovered compounds that may prevent the underlying condition that causes some chronic myelogenous leukemia patients to become resistant to Gleevec therapy, a common and effective treatment.

More specifically, in vitro studies found that some compounds discovered by applying the company's FAST lead discovery platform may inhibit wild-type and Gleevec-resistant BCR-ABL kinases, including the most clinically challenging mutation T315I.

The finding was presented Wednesday at the Keystone Symposia in Santa Fe, N.M.

There is no approved pharmaceutical treatment for such Gleevec-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia, the company said.

Although effective against many of the other clinically relevant mutants, second-generation BCR-ABL inhibitors currently in clinical studies have not been shown to inhibit T315I, which represents about 20% of clinically observed mutations and is one of the most common causes of Gleevec resistance.

The company said it expects to file an Investigational New Drug application with the Food and Drug Administration in late 2006 to permit clinical development of one of the compounds.

SGX Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company based in San Diego that discovers, develops and commercializes cancer therapeutics.

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