Gemin X Biotechnologies Announces Publication in Blood of Positive Preclinical Data of Lead Compound in Mantle Cell Lymphoma.MONTREAL -- Gemin X Biotechnologies Inc. announced today that a report published in the journal Blood demonstrated that its lead compound, obatoclax (GX15-070), induced cell death in vitro in vitro /in vi·tro/ (in ve´tro) [L.] within a glass; observable in a test tube; in an artificial environment. in vi·tro adj. In an artificial environment outside a living organism. in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is one of the rarer of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, comprising about 6% of NHL cases.[1] There are only about 15,000 patients presently in the U.S. (The incidence seems to be somewhat higher in Europe. (MCL MCL - Macintosh Common LISP ) cell lines and primary cells from 11 MCL patients. Obatoclax (GX15-070) is a small molecule specifically designed to inhibit all relevant members of the Bcl-2 protein family, a validated cancer target, thus restoring the natural cell death process of apoptosis. The study, which appears in the May 15 print edition of Blood, is titled, "The BH3-mimetic GX15-070 synergizes with Bortezomib in Mantle Cell Lymphoma by enhancing Noxa-mediated activation of Bak." It was led by Patricia Perez-Galan et al., from the Hematopathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biom[c]diques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona The University of Barcelona (Catalan: Universitat de Barcelona, UB) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a member of the Coimbra Group and Joan Lluís Vives Institute. , Barcelona, Spain. According to the report, GX15-070 was active in cells bearing defective 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. damage sensor genes or cell cycle regulators. Additionally, the compound synergized with bortezomib (Velcade[R]), a proteasome inhibitor, such that MCL cells became sensitized sensitized /sen·si·tized/ (sen´si-tizd) rendered sensitive. sensitized rendered sensitive. sensitized cells see sensitization (2). to low doses of bortezomib. Bortezomib was shown to induce the pro-survival Bcl member, Mcl-1, which causes resistance to the drug. Inhibition of Mcl-1 by GX15-070, in contrast, overcame this resistance. This positive preclinical activity of GX15-070 led to an increased activation of the apoptotic pathway, while showing no significant cytotoxic effect in normal cells from healthy donors when used both alone and in combination with bortezomib. "The results of this study show that a small molecule inhibitor, such as obatoclax (GX15-070) that modulates the Bcl-2 pathway, is a rational approach for the treatment of MCL," said Gordon Shore, Chief Scientific Officer of Gemin X. "Its ability to enhance the effects of bortezomib by overcoming resistance mediated by Mcl-1 also reveals the breadth of the compound's therapeutic potential. These findings suggest that Gemin X's obatoclax (GX15-070) in combination with bortezomib may prove to be an attractive new approach in the treatment of MCL, and further support our recent initiation of this combination in a Phase 1b trial in MCL." Gemin X is currently conducting several clinical trials of obatoclax (GX15-070) in multiple cancer types as a combination therapy and as a single agent. In addition to the Phase 1b trial in MCL, Gemin X recently initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in combination with docetaxel in patients with non-small cell lung cancer Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Definition Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Description There are two kinds of lung cancers, primary and secondary. . Obatoclax (GX15-070) is also in Phase 2 clinical trials in patients with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, myelofibrosis Myelofibrosis Definition Myelofibrosis is a rare disease of the bone marrow in which collagen builds up fibrous scar tissue inside the marrow cavity. with myeloid metaplasia myeloid metaplasia n. A syndrome characterized by anemia, enlargement of the spleen, and the presence of nucleated red blood cells and immature granulocytes in the blood, and accompanied by extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen and liver. , myelodysplastic syndrome Myelodysplastic Syndrome Definition Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a disease that is associated with decreased production of blood cells. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, and the blood cells of people with MDS do not mature normally. , and follicular lymphoma follicular lymphoma n. See nodular lymphoma. follicular lymphoma Follicle center lymphoma A heterogeneous group of NHLs arising in follicular center cells, which comprises 50% of all NHLs in adults–US, both as single agent and in combination with rituximab. In multiple Phase 1 studies, obatoclax (GX15-070) was well-tolerated and resulted in clinical and biological activity. About Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) belongs to a group of diseases known as non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, which are related cancers that affect the lymphatic system. Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma that historically has been resistant to current standard chemotherapeutic approaches, making it a difficult cancer to treat. The median survival time is three years and the ten-year survival rate is only 5-10%. Gemin X Biotechnologies Inc. specializes in the discovery and development of novel small molecule cancer therapeutics based on the regulation of apoptosis, the body's natural ability to destroy injured or damaged cells. Gemin X's lead product, obatoclax (GX15-070), is a small molecule, pan-inhibitor of Bcl-2 pro-survival proteins and is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. Gemin X is also developing a small molecule that induces apoptosis in p53-defective cancers. Gemin X is privately held and is located in Montreal, Quebec and Malvern, Pennsylvania. For additional information please visit Gemin X at www.geminx.com Velcade[R] is a registered trademark of Millenium Pharmaceuticals. |
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