My favorite cancer biotech (besides LGND and CYTO) is PCYC. I have mentioned it before on the thread. Market cap is 144m. They have a couple of very promising drugs entering P2. Here is a press release of May 19 about their PDT:
Pharmacyclics Inc Phase I tests promising
SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 19 (Reuter) - Pharmacyclics Inc on Monday announced results of Phase I clinical trials of its photosensitizer lutetium-texaphyrin (Lu-Tex) for treating advanced local or metastatic cancer.
"Although these were early studies that will require further confirmation, Lu-Tex appears to have promising activity for treatment of serious recurrent tumors such as breast cancer and melanoma," Alan Yuen, an oncologist at Stanford University, said in a statement.
Yuen presented the results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Denver.
Of the 35 patients enrolled in the dose escalation study, 16 had breast cancer, seven had melanoma, and 12 had other types of tumors. Patients received a rapid intravenous injection of Lu-Tex, followed three to eight hours later by illumination of the tumors with light, Pharmacyclics said.
Seventy-three breast cancer lesions were evaluated, with a total response rate of 64 percent. Of those, 46 percent showed a complete response, which was defined as full disappearance of the tumor and 18 percent had a partial response, or greater than a 50 percent reduction in tumor size.
Among melanoma patients, 45 lesions were evaluated. A complete response was achieved in 29 percent and a partial response was achieved in 20 percent.
Nineteen lesions were evaluated in six patients treated at the maximally-tolerated dose (MTD). Seventeen of those lesions showed a complete response and two a partial response.
The overall patient response rate was 50 percent with 17 percent complete and 33 percent partial responses.
Of the six patients treated at the MTD, four had a complete response and one had a partial response.
The dose-limiting toxicity was found during light illumination at the highest drug doses administered.
Also, at the highest dosage some patients experienced dysesthesia (burning or numbness) in areas exposed to light, such as the fingertips. There were no systemic toxicities and no significant skin phototoxicities.
The overall response rate was 50%, but for breast cancer, there was a 64% response rate and 30% complete response rate. There was also a 29% complete response rate for melanoma. These were all advanced cancers. Since this was a dose escalation study, many of these results were acieved at less than the maximum tolerated dose.
At the maximum tolerated dose, 17 of 19 treated lesions, or 89.5%, showed a complete response. The remaining 2 showed a partial response. IMO, that is getting pretty close to a cure! The company has shown in preclinicals that this drug when activated by light,can eradicate artherosclerotic plaque without damaging vessels in rabbits.The company also has a potent radiosensitizer and chemosensitizer drug which is entering P2. The price has recently come down to 16. |
