SUGEN Announces Breakthrough in Development of Cytostatic Anti-Cancer Agents With New Drug, SU6668
$15.75
SUGEN Announces Breakthrough in Development of Cytostatic Anti-Cancer
Agents With New Drug, SU6668
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO CALIF. (Nov. 10) BW HEALTHWIRE -Nov. 10, 1998--
The Cancer Research Campaign and SUGEN
To Initiate Phase I Trial in the United Kingdom
SUGEN, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUGN) today announced that it is collaborating
with the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) in the United Kingdom to
conduct a Phase I clinical trial of SUGEN's novel anti-cancer drug
candidate, SU6668, in patients with advanced malignancies.
The CRC is the European leader in anti-cancer drug development and the
foremost cancer charity in the United Kingdom. The study will be
conducted at the Royal Marsden Hospital in association with the CRC
Center for Cancer Therapeutics at the Institute of Cancer Research,
Sutton, Surrey, UK under Principal Investigator Dr. Ian Judson.
"SU6668 represents an exciting new class of anti-cancer drug which
combines two promising therapeutic strategies--anti-angiogenic and
cytostatic anti-tumor properties--in one drug. With SU6668, we have
been able to design a small molecule that inhibits three distinct
cancer targets, while remaining very specific and offering excellent
pharmacological properties," commented Stephen Evans-Freke, SUGEN
Chairman and C.E.O. "If SU6668 is successful in clinical development,
we anticipate that it may exhibit an activity profile quite different
from either of SUGEN's drug candidates currently in clinical trials,
SU5416 or SU101. These three compounds may prove therefore to be
complementary to each other from both a medical and commercial
perspective."
SU6668 potentially offers multiple mechanisms of action for the
treatment of cancer in a single agent, by selectively targeting the
Flk-1/KDR, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), and fibroblast growth
factor (FGF) receptors. Although SU6668 affects several targets, it has
shown minimal toxicity in pre-clinical studies. The compound is derived
from a proprietary chemical class of drug that is stable, water
soluble, easily manufactured, and orally bioavailable in animals. This
broad spectrum drug candidate is slated for development in an oral
formulation, although this initial Phase I dose escalation study will
be conducted with an i.v. dosage form in order to rapidly assess
safety, pharmacokinetics, dosing range and first indications of
clinical activity. The study will include up to 30 patients.
SUGEN is in Phase I and I/II trials with SU5416, a small molecule
angiogenesis inhibitor that targets the Flk-1/KDR receptor primarily
and is in the process of initiating multiple Phase II studies with this
drug candidate in selected tumor indications shortly. SUGEN's most
advanced drug candidate, SU101, a small molecule inhibitor of the PDGF
receptor, is currently in later stage Phase II and III clinical trials.
Professor Paul Workman, Director of the CRC Center for Cancer
Therapeutics said, "SU6668 has shown very promising activity against
cancers in the laboratory and we now need to find out about its safety
and anti-cancer properties in humans. An exciting feature of the drug
is its ability to block the cancer-promoting properties of several
important growth factors produced by tumors. This may make it more
difficult for tumors to become resistant to treatment."
SUGEN, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and
development of small molecule drugs which target specific cellular
signal transduction pathways. These signalling pathways are regulated
by cell surface receptors or intracellular signalling molecules known
as tyrosine kinases (TKs), serine-threonine kinases (STKs) and tyrosine
phosphatases (TPs). Aberrant signalling of TKs, STKs and TPs has been
shown to result in a variety of chronic and acute pathological
diseases, including cancer and diabetes as well as dermatologic,
ophthalmic, neurologic and immune disorders. The Company has major
research and development collaborations with Zeneca, Taiho, ASTA
Medica, and Allergan.
This press release contains, in addition to historical information,
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The
Company's actual results, including the further development of SU6668,
could differ significantly from the results discussed in the
forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to
such differences include the factors more fully discussed in the
Company's 1997 Form 10K and most recent Form 10-Q. The Company
undertakes no obligation to release the results of any revision to
these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or
circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events.
Additional written materials and press releases regarding SUGEN are
available through the SUGEN Fax-On-Demand Information Service by
dialing 1-888-329-4699 or at www.sugen.com.
-0- lmm/sf*
CONTACT: SUGEN, Inc.
D. Kevin Kwok or Susan Kinkead, 650/553-7700
irdept@sugen.com
or
Burns McClellan, Inc.
Michael Sinclair, 415/352-6262 (media)
John Nugent, 212/213-0006 (investors)
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