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Biotech / Medical : Ligand (LGND) Breakout! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Henry Niman who wrote (27355)	1/12/1999 1:53:00 AM
From: bob zagorin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32384

genta has an interesting release today about using a compound in combination with chemotherapy. Genta to Commence Phase I/IIa Lymphoma Trial of Bcl-2 Antisense Compound Administered With Cyclophosphamide SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Genta Incorporated (Nasdaq: GNTA) today announced it has initiated a new Phase I/IIa study of its lead development compound G3139 at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Cancer Centre in British Columbia, Canada. The study will examine the safety and efficacy of G3139 in the treatment of relapsed follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, when administered with cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent often used to treat this disease. The principle investigator is Dr. Richard Klasa of the BC Cancer Agency's Division of Medical Oncology and Department of Advanced Therapeutics. In November 1998, Genta announced the initiation of a Phase I/IIa study in hormone resistant prostate cancer with G3139 and mitoxantrone by Dr. Klasa and his colleagues at the BC Cancer Agency, which study is currently in progress. The bcl-2 gene that is the target of Genta's G3139 was initially described in B-Cell Lymphoma, and its up-regulation has been found to be associated with 70-100% of follicular lymphomas. Follicular lymphomas are generally responsive to alkylating agents such as cyclophosphamide but are characterized by a high frequency of relapse. "The research team at the BC Cancer Agency has conducted preclinical studies of G3139 in lymphoma," Dr. Klasa said. "We have both in vitro and in vivo evidence that G3139 can down-regulate the bcl-2 message and protein expression. An in vivo human lymphoma xenograft model in SCID mice has also shown a specific therapeutic effect of G3139 versus controls. Similar studies using this model with the proposed combination of G3139 and cyclophosphamide have demonstrated enhanced survival versus either drug alone or controls. In fact, animals with an established tumor were actually cured of their disease with the combination therapy. These results strongly suggest the potential for a synergistic effect that we are eager to explore in patients."