Aptamera Launches Phase I Clinical Trial of AGRO100 for the Treatment of Solid Tumors.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003 Aptamera, a Louisville-based oncology drug development company with related diagnostic applications, announced today that it has begun a clinical trial for its lead investigational anti-cancer drug, AGRO100. This trial is the first human clinical trial testing nucleic acid nucleic acid, any of a group of organic substances found in the chromosomes of living cells and viruses that play a central role in the storage and replication of hereditary information and in the expression of this information through protein synthesis. aptamers for the treatment of cancer. Nucleic acid aptamers are small segments of either DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. or RNA RNA: see nucleic acid. RNA in full ribonucleic acid One of the two main types of nucleic acid (the other being DNA), which functions in cellular protein synthesis in all living cells and replaces DNA as the carrier of genetic that can exert therapeutic activity by assuming specific shapes that recognize and bind to biologically relevant proteins. The Phase I clinical trial Noun 1. phase I clinical trial - a clinical trial on a few persons to determine the safety of a new drug or invasive medical device; for drugs, dosage or toxicity limits should be obtained phase I is being conducted at the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown For the cricketer, see . James Graham Brown (August 18 1881 — March 20 1969) was a businessman and real estate developer best known as the builder of the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky and for his philanthropy. Cancer Center. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate levels of the drug that can be safely administered to patients and to track how the drug is spread and cleared through the body. Kerry M. Barnhart, Ph.D., Aptamera's Chief Scientific Officer, states, "We strongly believe that the excellent safety profile demonstrated by AGRO100 in all of our preclinical testing will also be seen in our patients. Our focus has now shifted to optimizing treatment regimens to maximize potential benefit to patients in future clinical trials." Up to 20 patients with advanced solid tumors of differing type will be enrolled in this trial. According to Terry Minton, Aptamera President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , "This event represents a tremendous milestone for Aptamera and our lead drug candidate. We are excited to see our science progress faster than anticipated and believe that this drug is the first of several we are developing that can attack cancer cells by interacting with our novel tumor marker tumor marker n. A substance, released into the circulation by tumor tissue, whose detection in the serum indicates the presence of a specific type of tumor. protein." AGRO100 (patent pending) is a G-rich oligonucleotide that binds to nucleolin, a protein found on tumor cell surfaces and involved in cancer cell proliferation. AGRO100 halts cancer cell reproduction and induces programmed tumor cell destruction. Initial tests demonstrate the anti-cancer agent has robust performance against multiple types of the disease in experimental systems, including lung, prostate, breast, and colon cancer colon cancer, cancer of any part of the colon (often called the large intestine). Colon cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. . AGRO100 represents a unique and potentially powerful example of revolutionary "molecularly targeted" cancer drugs that locate and destroy tumor cells while sparing normal tissues. About Aptamera: Aptamera is an oncology drug development company. The Company owns technology focused on a novel cancer target and a family of drug candidates that interact with that target to produce dramatic anti-cancer effects in virtually all tumor types tested to date. For more information, please contact Kerry Barnhart at (502) 587-0939, or visit the Company's website at www.aptamera.com. |
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