CyDex Licenses Captisol(R) to Sunesis Pharmaceuticals for Oncology Drug Candidate.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 for Treatment of Patients with Solid Tumors Planned for 2007 LENEXA, Kan. -- CyDex, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing improved products through innovative drug delivery, today announced an agreement licensing its Captisol([R]) enabling technology to Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Sunesis Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecular therapeutics for oncology and other unmet medical needs. Founded in 1998, Sunesis filed and completed an IPO in 2005. , Inc. for formulation of a selective Aurora kinase Aurora kinases are serine/threonine kinases that are essential for cell proliferation. The enzyme helps the dividing cell share its genetic materials with its daughter cells. inhibitor with potent anti-tumor activity across a number of nonclinical human cancer models. CyDex's patented Captisol technology improves water solubility Water is a bent, polar compound and possesses the ability to Hydrogen bond. As a result, it has unique solubility characteristics as a solvent and functions differently at different temperatures. Polarity Bonding Sources Water Solubility, US Geological Survey , bioavailability bioavailability /bio·avail·a·bil·i·ty/ (bi?o-ah-val?ah-bil´i-te) the degree to which a drug or other substance becomes available to the target tissue after administration. bi·o·a·vail·a·bil·i·ty n. and complexation characteristics of insoluble and/or unstable drugs. The CyDex pipeline of licensed and proprietary Captisol-enabled formulations targets a range of market segments including injectables, oral solutions and capsules, ophthalmic solutions, oral solids and inhalation. CyDex granted Sunesis global rights to Captisol for a formulation of SNS-314 - a selective small molecule inhibitor of Aurora kinases that potently inhibits proliferation of a wide panel of human cancer cell lines. Aurora kinases are over expressed in several types of cancer, including colon, breast, ovarian, bladder, esophageal, gastric and pancreatic. As demonstrated in multiple nonclinical models, the combination of potency, selectivity and robust in vivo in vivo /in vi·vo/ (ve´vo) [L.] within the living body. in vi·vo adj. Within a living organism. in vivo adv. activity, coupled with tumor growth inhibition Growth inhibition (GI) is a medical term pertaining to cancer therapy and the specific reduction in growth of tumors and oncogene cells by a chemical compound, mechanical therapy (e.g. through intermittent dosing, suggests that SNS-314 may be a best-in-class Aurora kinase inhibitor for the treatment of diverse human malignancies. An IND has been submitted for SNS-314, and a Phase 1 clinical trial phase 1 clinical trial Phase 1 study. See Phase study. for the treatment of patients with solid tumors is planned to begin in the second quarter of 2007. Sunesis Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel small molecule therapeutics for oncology and other serious diseases. "Adding Sunesis to our roster of technology licensing partners is an important advance for CyDex," said John M. Siebert, Ph.D., chief executive officer of CyDex. "We are pleased to be participating in the process of developing SNS-314 and potentially creating a significant new therapeutic alternative for oncology. Including SNS-314, our partners have a total of 23 licensed Captisol formulations involved in clinical trials around the world. We look forward to further expanding CyDex's technology licensing activity in the months and years ahead. At the same time, we expect to continue making progress on our proprietary products strategy. Our current proprietary pipeline includes eight hospital acute care and four other Captisol-enabled drugs that have the potential to provide unique therapeutic benefits and satisfy unmet medical needs." About CyDex, Inc. CyDex is a specialty pharmaceutical company developing proprietary products and licensing its Captisol([R]) enabling technology. CyDex is bringing important new medications to patients by developing its own pipeline of proprietary products with advanced drug delivery solutions, and by partnering with the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Four Captisol-enabled drugs are currently being commercially marketed. These include Bristol Myers Squibb's Abilify IM[TM], Pfizer Animal Health's Cerenia[TM] and Geodon for Injection and Vfend IV, both marketed globally by Pfizer Inc. In addition, CyDex has development agreements with Allergan, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Daiichi Asubio Pharma Co., Ltd., of Japan; Merck & Co., Inc.; Kanisa Pharmaceuticals[TM]; Mitsubishi Corporation; OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; PTC (PTC, Needham, MA, www.ptc.com) Long a world leader in mechanical computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering software, PTC, through acquisitions and reorganization, has transformed itself into a leading provider of Internet-based B2B solutions for discrete manufacturers. Pharma AG; TargeGen, Inc.; Taisho Pharmaceuticals; and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Hebrew: טבע תעשיות פרמצבטיות בע"מ), NASDAQ: TEVA is an international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Ltd. CyDex also has clinical use agreements with major pharma and biotech companies. CyDex is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. located in suburban Kansas City. To learn more about the company, please visit www.cydexinc.com. Captisol and Captisol-enabled are registered trademarks of CyDex, Inc. |
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