Imclone Systems Commences Patient Treatment in U.S. Phase I Clinical Trial of IMC-3G3
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ImClone Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: IMCL) today announced the commencement of patient treatment in a Phase I clinical trial of its fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRa), IMC-3G3, in patients with solid tumors.
This study will be conducted at two clinical sites in the U.S., and is designed to establish the safety profile of IMC-3G3 and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the new antibody administered weekly by intravenous infusion. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 30 to 40 patients.
“Platelet-derived growth factor is among the most important growth factors known to regulate cell growth and division,” stated Eric K. Rowinsky, Chief Medical Officer and SVP of ImClone Systems. “One of the receptors for PDGF, PDGFRa, is expressed on a number of human cancers and on accessory cells in tumors that are important for sustaining tumor growth. Recent experimental evidence has shown that PDGFRa plays an important role in regulating VEGF-driven tumor angiogenesis. Therapeutic intervention with a PDGFRa antibody, such as IMC-3G3, may provide another means to blocking tumor growth and angiogenesis in human cancers, and possibly an approach to overcome resistance to current VEGF-targeted therapies.
IMC-3G3 is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that is designed to bind to PDGFRa, leading to inhibition of ligand-dependent signaling in PDGFRa-expressing tumor cells, as well as stromal cells in the tumor microenviroment that are dependent on PDGFRa signaling. Treatment with IMC-3G3 in preclinical models of human breast, hepatocellular, ovarian and prostate carcinoma has resulted in significant reduction of cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. |
