BioCryst says forodesine HCL can cause cell death in certain cancers

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., April 6 - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. provided an update summarizing highlights from an oral presentation related to the clinical development of forodesine hydrochloride (HCL), its lead product candidate for the treatment of certain leukemias and lymphomas, presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held this week in Washington, D.C.

Forodesine HCL is a transition-state analog inhibitor of the target enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP).

Selective inhibition of PNP causes select nucleosides, including deoxyguanosine, to accumulate and be converted to deoxyguanosine triphosphate (dGTP), according to a news release.

BioCryst said high concentrations of dGTP cause an imbalance in the intra-cellular deoxynucleotide, ultimately resulting in the cell death of certain cancers.

The study results confirm that CLL cells do accumulate dGTP and the inhibition of PNP is sufficient for the initiation of cell death in malignant B-cells, the release said.

Additionally, preliminary results of an ongoing phase 2 study using oral forodesine HCL in patients with fludarabine-refractory CLL were presented, which indicated the potential clinical efficacy of oral forodesine HCL.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, located in Birmingham, Ala., develops drugs that block key enzymes involved in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and viral infections.

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