GNTA (index #2)news (float 9.7M): Genta Launches Follow-up Studies of Genasense(TM) Combination Therapy for Prostate Cancer at Major Cancer Centers
LEXINGTON, Mass., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Genta Incorporated (Nasdaq: GNTA - news) announced the launch of two additional clinical studies to evaluate its antisense drug, GenasenseTM, for treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer. Both trials use Genta's lead compound in combination with TaxotereTM (docetaxel; Aventis, Inc.). The similarly designed studies will be conducted by Dr. Anthony Tolcher of the Institute for Drug Development, Cancer Therapy Research Center, San Antonio, TX, and by Dr. Howard Scher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
Dr. Tolcher was formerly a member of a leading genitourinary (GU) oncology research group at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. This group has recently published a series of preclinical studies showing the importance of Bcl-2 expression in prostate cancer progression, and that Bcl-2 antisense treatment, alone or in combination with taxane or mitoxantrone chemotherapy, exerts extremely potent anticancer effects. Abstracts of this work can be viewed by following this link to the journals of the American Association for Cancer Research (http://www.aacr.org/), and then searching on ``Tolcher''.
-- Progression to androgen independence is delayed by adjuvant treatment
with antisense bcl-2 oligodeoxynucleotides after castration in the
LNCaP prostate tumor model. Clinical Cancer Research 5:2891-98, 1999.
-- Downregulation of bcl-2 expression by the antisense oligonucleotide
G3139 enhances paclitaxel chemosensitivity in the androgen-independent
prostate cancer LNCaP xenograft model. Clinical Cancer Research
(Suppl.) Vol. 5, November 1999
-- Downregulation of bcl-2 expression by antisense-oligonucleotide (AS-
ODN) treatment enhances mitoxantrone cytotoxicity in the androgen-
dependent Shionogi tumor model. Proc. Am Assoc Cancer Res. 40: 1999.
-- Antisense bcl-2 oligodeoxynucleotides inhibit progression to androgen-
independence after castration in the Shionogi tumor model. Cancer
Research 59:4030-34, 1999.
Dr. Scher is the head of GU Oncology in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. His trial is a prostate-specific extension of the Phase 1 study reported by his group in May at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in New Orleans.
``Genta has worked closely with Aventis Oncology in establishing these two trials, and we are grateful for the support of that company in their execution,'' observed Dr. Raymond P. Warrell, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, who went onto note: ``Prostate cancer is one of Genta's highest priorities. Given the exceptionally strong preclinical data, as well as early clinical results obtained in GU cancer patients, we expect these two studies to accrue rapidly. Ideally, we'd like to be able to prioritize our decision to proceed to registration studies in prostate cancer, and also to determine the most useful partner drug, in the near future.
``These trials comprise a key part of a broad research and development strategy at Genta,'' noted Dr. Howard Fingert, Vice-President for Clinical Affairs, who also stated: ``First, for early-stage prostate cancer, we are developing small molecules from our Androgenics Technologies program, which both inhibit androgen biosynthesis and inactivate androgen receptors, in patients who are hormonally sensitive. Second, as Dr. Tolcher and others have reported, Bcl-2 antisense can then be used during hormonal therapy to substantially delay the onset of hormonal resistance. Finally, in patients who have relapsed from hormone treatment, Genasense can be added to state-of- the-art chemotherapy and radiation treatment protocols to dramatically improve responsiveness of the disease.''
Genta Incorporated is a biopharmaceutical company with a product portfolio focused on anticancer therapy. Our research platform is anchored by our Anticode(TM) (antisense) technology, and the pipeline includes a number of other important anticancer products. GenasenseTM, the Company's lead compound, has received ``Fast Track'' designation from the Food and Drug Administration. The combination of Genasense plus dacarbazine is currently undergoing a Phase 3 trial in patients with advanced melanoma. Genta aims to become a direct marketer of its pharmaceutical products in the United States. For more information about Genta, please visit our website at: genta.com .
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SOURCE: Genta Incorporated |
