Lorus selects NC 381 for clinical development
Lorus Therapeutics Inc LOR
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Thu 18 May 2000 News Release
Ms. Mimi Choi reports
Lorus Therapeutics, through its 80-per-cent-owned subsidiary, NuChem
Pharmaceuticals Inc., has chosen NC 381 as its lead anticancer drug for
further studies in preparation for clinical trials.
From a library of several hundred compounds investigated at the Harvard
Medical School and in-licensed to Lorus through its subsidiary, three
potential lead anticancer compounds were chosen for further detailed
investigations to determine the most effective anticancer compound in
preclinical studies including animal tumour models.
In studies with more than 300 mice containing different tumours, NC 381
treatment was found to significantly reduce the growth of a variety of
cancers, including tumours derived from human large cell lung carcinoma,
human pancreatic carcinoma, human kidney carcinoma and mouse fibrosarcoma.
NC 381 also significantly inhibited the metastasis of malignant melanoma
cells (that is the spread of tumour cells to other organs in the body).
"Death from cancer is usually due to the spread (metastasis) of cancer
cells from the primary or original site to other organs in the body, so it
is vital that we develop new drugs that have antimetastatic properties like
those found with NC 381," said Philippe G. Lacaille, chairman and chief
executive officer of Lorus Therapeutics Inc. "The finding that NC 381 can
be taken orally, for example, in pill form, is significant because it means
the drug can enter the body in a less invasive way than most
chemotherapeutic drugs and potentially improve the quality of life for
patients."
Preliminary toxicology studies have shown a very good safety profile for NC
381. Formal preclinical toxicology studies will begin in June, 2000, and it
is anticipated that an investigational new drug (IND) application will be
submitted for clinical trial approval by early next year.
NC 381 was originally designed as an analog or chemical variation of a
well-known antifungal agent, clotrimazole. In past studies, the drug
revealed an unique dual mode of antitumour action, stopping cancer cells
from dividing (antiproliferative) as well as preventing the formation of
blood vessels (antiangiogenic) required for tumour development.
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