NERX moving on this news. Also significant cancer research advance:
biz.yahoo.com
NeoRx's Pretarget-Lymphoma Produces Tumor Regressions
LOS ANGELES-June 10, 1999--Dr. Hazel Breitz, Virginia Mason
Medical Center (Seattle, WA), reported at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting that NeoRx Corporation's (Nasdaq:NERX - news) Pretarget® technology permitted the safe administration
of higher radiation doses to lymphoma patients than conventional radioimmunotherapy, and that patients receiving these doses experienced substantial tumor regressions including complete
responses in some cases. The maximum tolerated dose has not yet been reached. The abstract describing this work received the highest grade in the category of Therapeutic Oncology at the meeting.
''Both dosimetry calculations and the patients' tolerance and responses provide proof-of-concept that Pretarget technology may provide substantial benefits to lymphoma patients, even some who
have had extensive prior therapies such as bone marrow transplantation,'' said Dr. Breitz.
The Pretarget technology employed involves first injecting a tumor-directed antibody carrying avreceptor to the tumor, followed by a clearing step to remove the receptor from circulation. The
radiation is then injected on a small molecule carrier that rapidly targets the receptor on the tumor,vwith most of the remaining radiation being quickly excreted from the body. By contrast,
conventional approaches attach the radiation to the antibody that circulates throughout the body for a sustained period, increasing the radiation exposure to normal organs such as bone marrow.
Patients involved in this proof-of-concept study included both intermediate and low-grade lymphoma patients, most of whose tumors had grown again after extensive prior therapies. Three patients had received high dose therapy requiring bone marrow transplantation; other patients had bone marrow that was extensively involved with tumor. ''It is remarkable, but not surprising, that even these patients tolerated these high doses well, and it is particularly gratifying that one of the complete responses was achieved in a patient who had received a prior stem cell transplant,'' said
Paul Abrams, M.D., J.D, NeoRx's Chief Executive Officer. ''That is what this work is all about.
Although this study was conducted with a commercially-available lymphoma antibody, NeoRx has now constructed its own proprietary molecule designed to improve binding to lymphoma cells
and that may result in reduced manufacturing lead times and costs.''
NeoRx Corporation is developing innovative products designed to provide improved, cost-effective treatments for patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases.
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