Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : T/FIF Portfolio -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Russian Bear who wrote (163)	10/23/1998 10:56:00 PM
From: scaram(o)uche	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1073

RB: I saw it. Their most advanced product candidate bugs me..... not because of the concept, but the name.... neu-sensamide..... sounds like a high-tech condom from Germany. I am very enthusiastic about both the targeting of budding endothelium (see integrin work from La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation, now Burnham Institute, or something like that) and the use of bacteria to deliver magic stuff (seeGrillot-Courvalin et al., Nature Biotechnology 16: 862). You also do not want to miss the work of David Bermudes (Vion, also doing prodrug stuff). Any info you can gather on the investment quality of OXi would be appreciated. Some day something wild is going to work. What can you say about a company that is targeting new endothelium, generating hypoxic environments, and using bacteria to deliver environment-specific genes? Other than "innovative", that is. Thanks, good stuff. Landuyt is one serious radiation oncologist. Rick Cancer Res 1997 Oct 15;57(20):4537-44 Tumor-targeted Salmonella as a novel anticancer vector. Pawelek JM, Low KB, Bermudes D Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. sodi@biomed.med.yale.edu There has been little investigation of bacteria as gene delivery vectors. Here, we demonstrate that genetically engineered Salmonella have many of the desirable properties of a delivery vector, including targeting of multiple tumors from a distant inoculation site, selective replication within tumors, tumor retardation, and the ability to express effector genes, such as the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV TK). When wild-type Salmonella were introduced into melanoma-bearing mice, the bacteria were found within the tumor at levels exceeding 10(9) per g, although as pathogens, they caused the death of the mice. However, when attenuated, hyperinvasive auxotrophic mutants were used, the tumor-targeting and amplification phenomena were retained, whereas their pathogenicity was limited. With such attenuated strains, the tumor:liver ratios ranged between 250:1 and 9000:1. When these auxotrophs were inoculated i.p. into C57B6 mice bearing B16F10 melanomas, they suppressed tumor growth and prolonged average survival to as much as twice that of untreated mice. A plasmid containing the HSV TK gene with a beta-lactamase secretion signal was constructed that, when expressed, resulted in translocation to the periplasm and phosphorylation of the prodrug ganciclovir. Melanoma-bearing animals inoculated with HSV TK-expressing Salmonella showed ganciclovir-mediated, dose-dependent suppression of tumor growth and prolonged survival in addition to that seen with bacteria alone. The results demonstrate that attenuated Salmonella would be useful both for inherent antitumor activity and delivery of therapeutic proteins to cancer cells in vivo.

To: Russian Bear who wrote (163)	10/25/1998 4:52:00 PM
From: tnsaf	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1073

I had a look at the press release for P-II/III results on Sensamide used to treat non-small cell lung cancer. (Neu-Sensamide is supposed to be a formulation with fewer side affects than Sensamide.) In the study they found a sub-population that appears to benefit from addition of Sensamide to normal radiation treatment. This sub-population may be a small part of the total. I found a definition of Karnofssky Performance Scale and list the first part after the press release excerpt. Jason -------------------- Boston, MA and Lund, Sweden, March 31, 1998 - OXiGENE (Nasdaq: OXGN, SSE: OXGN), an international biopharmaceutical company, reported today on developments in its clinical trials with Neu-Sensamide™, a radiosensitizer, and Sensamide™, a prototype for Neu-Sensamide. Clinical investigators have now completed the collection and evaluation of tumor response data for the Company's randomized, controlled Phase II/III study of the prototype Sensamide in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Based on this analysis, OXiGENE has identified a patient sub-group for whom Sensamide, and the Company's lead product, Neu-Sensamide, are expected to have efficacy. The study shows that more patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and a Karnofsky score** >= 90 who were treated with radiation and Sensamide experienced tumor response ( 47%), compared to patients receiving radiation alone (30%), and randomized to the same sub-group... ------------------- Complete PR is at oxigene.com ------------------- Karnofsky Performance Scale 100 Normal, no complaints, no evidence of disease 90 Able to carry on normal activity: minor symptoms of disease 80 Normal activity with effort: some symptoms of disease 70 Cares for self: unable to carry on normal activity or active work 60 Requires occasional assistance but is able to care for needs Complete definition at catalog.com