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 : Aronex Pharma (ARNX) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sam Lee who wrote (232)	4/5/1999 10:12:00 PM
From: Nicholas Varthas	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 320

Here is todays news. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNX - news), announced today the initiation of a Phase I/II clinical trial evaluating the use of ATRAGEN® in patients with bladder cancer. ATRAGEN is an injectable formulation of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) being developed for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Additionally, ATRAGEN is being evaluated in early-stage clinical trials in progressive non- Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. ''This Phase I/II trial is designed to define the optimum dose and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ATRAGEN in the treatment of patients with superficial carcinoma of the bladder,'' said Geoffrey F. Cox, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Aronex Pharmaceuticals. ''ATRAGEN will be administered intravesically, delivered directly into the bladder of patients who have failed prior therapy.'' Commenting on the commercial strategy for ATRAGEN, Dr. Cox added, ''In the past six months, we have initiated a series of studies to evaluate the potential of ATRAGEN in a number of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. We look forward to reporting our findings.'' According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 54,000 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States, with more than 12,500 patients dying each year. Bladder cancer is classified as superficial, muscle invasive or metasatic. Approximately 70% of patients present with superficial disease at the time of diagnosis. Currently, surgical resection of all discernible disease is the only potentially curative therapy for superficial bladder tumors. Two-thirds of patients who have had this procedure will develop a recurrence within five years. Twenty percent of these recurrences will be of a higher stage than the initial tumor. Although bladder cancer represents a unique opportunity to administer therapeutic agents directly to the tumor via intravesical therapy, the full potential for this treatment approach has yet to be achieved. The need exists for more effective agents with fewer side effects. In December 1998, the Company filed a New Drug Application with the Food and Drug Administration for ATRAGEN for the treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia, for whom therapy with tretinoin is necessary but for whom an intravenous administration is required. Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes proprietary innovative medicines to treat cancer and infectious diseases. Aronex Pharmaceuticals currently has five products in clinical development, two of which are in an advanced stage.