Cytran Expands Clinical Research Team.Health/Medical Writers SEATTLE--(BW HealthWire)--March 15, 2000 Cytran, Inc., a developer of small peptides for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, announced today that it has added two senior managers with strong experience in clinical trials and oncology to its clinical staff. Moise Khayrallah, Ph.D. has joined Cytran as Senior Director of Clinical Affairs and Beatrice Langton-Webster, Ph.D. will serve as Senior Director of Preclinical Research. Dr. Khayrallah has 13 years of experience in the management of clinical programs and the design, performance and analysis of large multi-center clinical research trials in the pharmaceutical industry. He has developed advanced study conduct and data management techniques to accelerate the clinical trial process and improve the accuracy of data collection. Prior to joining Cytran, Dr. Khayrallah served as Director of Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs at Lineberry Research Associates of Research Triangle Park Research Triangle Park, research, business, medical, and educational complex situated in central North Carolina. It has an area of 6,900 acres (2,795 hectares) and is 8 × 2 mi (13 × 3 km) in size. Named for the triangle formed by Duke Univ. , North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. . Dr. Khayrallah also served as Senior Clinical Research Scientist at Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., where he led numerous clinical programs and clinical trials resulting in FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. approvals. Dr. Langton-Webster comes to Cytran with a career spanning over 15 years in oncology and immune mediated diseases. She served as Senior Director of Preclinical Development for Megabios Corporation (now Valentis Corporation) instigating preclinical programs in anti-angiogenesis and tumor suppressor sup·pres·sor n. 1. or sup·press·er One that suppresses: a suppressor of free speech. 2. A gene that suppresses the phenotypic expression of another gene, especially of a mutant gene. therapies in several cancers. Dr. Langton-Webster also served as Head of the Oncology Strategic Research Unit at Triton/Berlex Biosciences. In that position she was instrumental in establishing and directing preclinical tumor biology programs in breast, ovarian and lung cancers, including a program that was the first to design an anti-erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) antibody for use in combination with chemotherapy for breast cancer. Most recently, Dr. Langton-Webster served as President and Senior Consultant for BC Associates, a consulting firm focused on oncology and immune therapeutic and diagnostic applications. "We are delighted to have the expertise of two experienced drug development leaders as part of Cytran Senior Management to help guide our preclinical and clinical trial programs," said Gene Larson, Cytran President and COO. "Our lead drug, IM862, is currently under study in a registration Phase III trial in Kaposi's sarcoma Kaposi's sarcoma (käp`əshē', kəpō`sē), a usually fatal cancer that was considered rare until its appearance in AIDS patients. and several Phase II trials in solid tumor cancers including ovarian, prostate and malignant melanoma Malignant Melanoma Definition Malignant melanoma is a type of cancer arising from the melanocyte cells of the skin. Melanocytes are cells in the skin that produce a pigment called melanin. . The leadership of Drs. Khayrallah and Langton-Webster will help ensure the optimum development of IM862 and the other peptides in our portfolio." IM862 is a naturally-occurring peptide, comprised of two amino acids. Because of its small size, IM862 can be absorbed through the mucous membranes Mucous membranes The inner tissue that covers or lines body cavities or canals open to the outside, such as nose and mouth. These membranes secrete mucus and absorb water and salts. Mentioned in: Leprosy, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Topical Anesthesia . In Cytran's clinical trials, patients self-administer the drug as nose drops. Patients have experienced only minimal side-effects when taking IM862. Preclinical and clinical data suggest that IM862 has multiple mechanisms of action including angiogenesis angiogenesis /an·gio·gen·e·sis/ (-jen´e-sis) vasculogenesis; development of blood vessels either in the embryo or in the form of neovascularization or revascularization. an·gi·o·gen·e·sis n. inhibition -- blocking the development of blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. necessary to support tumor growth -- and stimulation of the body's immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. to attack the tumor. The tumor inhibiting properties of IM862 indicate potential in treating cancer patients as monotherapy or in combination with traditional therapies. Cytran, located near Seattle, is a private biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing small peptides for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. |
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