Introgen's INGN 241 Shows Promise in Treatment of Breast Cancer: Effects Enhanced By Combination With Herceptin, Chemotherapy, Radiation and Hormone Therapies
- Data Published in Cancer Gene Therapy and Presented at San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium -
AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INGN) today reported that in preclinical studies its investigational cancer therapy INGN 241 reduced tumor growth and increased tumor cell death in various breast cancer treatment regimens.
These data appear in the current issue of the journal Cancer Gene Therapy and also were described in three presentations at the 2005 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Introgen researchers and their collaborators at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center conducted the studies.
The article in Cancer Gene Therapy describes the anti-cancer activity of mda-7, the active component of INGN 241, in nine breast cancer tumors. Studies evaluated INGN 241 as a single agent; in combination with radiation therapy; with chemotherapy (Taxotere or Adriamycin); with the hormone inhibitor, Tamoxifen; and with Herceptin, a biologic cancer therapy.
In all settings, INGN 241 reduced cell growth and increased programmed tumor cell death (apoptosis). This effect was enhanced when combined with drugs currently used to treat breast cancer. In animal models of breast cancer, treatment with INGN 241 alone or in combination with radiation therapy resulted in significant decreases in tumor growth.
"These results suggest that the combined use of INGN 241 and current breast cancer drugs increases tumor cell death compared to standard treatments alone without increasing the toxicities associated with conventional therapy," said Kerstin Menander, Ph.D., M.D., Introgen's vice president, Clinical Research and Development. "Additionally, the data show that INGN 241 alone or with radiation therapy reduces tumor growth in animal models, supporting the broad potential utility of INGN 241 in the treatment of breast cancer."
Additional data from preclinical studies of INGN 241 as a single therapy, in combination with chemotherapy and in combination with Herceptin were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (Abstracts 2087, 4085 and 6105, respectively). These data show enhanced activity of chemotherapy or Herceptin when combined with INGN 241 and are consistent with the results in the Cancer Gene Therapy publication. |
