Tularik makes its ASCO play:
>>SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--May 11, 2001-- Tularik Inc. (Nasdaq:TLRK - news) today announced that abstracts containing Phase 1 clinical trial results for its two novel anti-tubulin cancer drugs, T67 and T607, will be presented at the 37th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) in San Francisco on May 11-14.
T67 and T607 work by binding to B-tubulin, which is essential for cell division. Anti-tubulin agents are a well established class of cancer therapy compounds. In fact, the most commonly used anti-cancer drug is Taxol® (paclitaxel), an anti-tubulin agent, with annual sales in excess of $1.5 billion. However, one shortcoming of Taxol and other currently used anti-tubulin agents is that they become susceptible to multi-drug resistance. T67 and T607 are distinguished from other tubulin-binding agents in that they bind irreversibly to tubulin and, as a result, have shown efficacy against multi-drug resistant tumors in pre-clinical testing. T67 is also distinguished from other anti-tubulin drugs by its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, making it potentially useful in the treatment of glioma (brain cancer).
Tularik is currently conducting five separate Phase 2 clinical trials for T67 in non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) and glioma. In one Phase 1 trial, clinicians have observed a partial response in a patient with liver cancer that was maintained for more than a year. Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide and is a particularly aggressive form of cancer with poor patient survival. Abstract numbers 438 and 443 will detail Phase 1 trial data on T67.
T607, Tularik's second novel anti-tubulin cancer drug, is a structural analog of T67, and also binds irreversibly to B-tubulin. T607 has a different tissue distribution profile than T67 and does not cross the blood-brain barrier. A partial response in a patient with liver cancer was also observed with T607 suggesting that Tularik's novel anti-tubulin agents may have particular benefit for the treatment of liver cancer. T607 is currently undergoing Phase I dose-escalation studies in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. Abstract number 442 will detail information on T607 Phase 1 studies.<<
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Cheers, Tuck |
