S*BIO INITIATES CLINICAL TRIAL OF NOVEL ANTI-CANCER DRUG.S*BIO Pte Ltd PTE LTD Private Limited has become Singapore's first biotechnology company to initiate a 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 of a novel anti- cancer compound. The compound, SB939, belongs to a new class of targeted anti-cancer therapeutics called histone deacetylase Histone deacetylases (HDAC) (EC number 3.5.1) are a class of enzymes that remove acetyl groups from an ε-N-acetyl lysine amino acid on a histone. Its action is opposite to that of histone acetyltransferase. (HDAC HDAC Histone Deacetylase (biochemistry) HDAC Heavy Duty Air Cylinder ) inhibitors. SB939 is designed to be a "best-in-class" therapeutic amongst HDAC inhibitors being developed worldwide, and has demonstrated the potential to bring additional therapeutic benefits due to its high potency, superior oral availability and good tolerability. The Phase I trial of SB939 is a dose-escalation study and is currently conducted at the Department of Hematology-Oncology, The Cancer Institute@National University Hospital (TCI (Trustworthy Computing Initiative) An umbrella term from Microsoft for its efforts to improve security in Windows. TCI was announced in 2002 after viruses such as Code Red and Nimda had succeeded in attacking numerous Windows computers. @NUH NUH National University Hospital (Singapore Tertiary Hospital) ) in Singapore. This study will evaluate the safety and tolerability, as well as determine the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of SB939 in cancer patients. SB939 has been found to be well tolerated in the first cohort of patients and the dosing continues with the next dose-groups. This clinical study involves patients with either solid or hematological hematological, hematologic pertaining to or emanating from blood cells. hematological tests total and differential white cell counts, hematocrit estimation, erythrocyte count. tumors. "SB939 was discovered in Singapore and entered into the clinic within a short span of two years. This is a significant milestone for S*BIO as we make the transition into a clinical stage company and demonstrate the speed and rigor rigor /rig·or/ (rig´er) [L.] chill; rigidity. rigor mor´tis the stiffening of a dead body accompanying depletion of adenosine triphosphate in the muscle fibers. with which we move new discoveries into clinical testing. We are pleased to work with a team of experts at NUH who have a strong track record in clinical studies of novel anti-cancer compounds," said Dr. Jan-Anders Karlsson, 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. of S*BIO. "The preclinical data of SB939 are very promising and we look forward to investigating Singapore's first oncology drug," said Boon-Cher Goh, M.D., Principal Clinical Investigator, the Department of Hematology-Oncology, TCI@NUH. S*BIO focuses on the research and clinical development of novel targeted small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer. In addition to SB939, S*BIO's pipeline includes a portfolio of complementary HDAC inhibitors and two novel series of unique spectrum kinase inhibitors applicable for the treatment of both solid and hematological tumors. S*BIO's scientific and clinical team include some of the best home grown and international scientists. Coupled with a strong international management team and state-of-the-art infrastructure, S*BIO rapidly develops exploitable leads into optimised clinical development candidates. About S*BIO Pte Ltd S*BIO is a privately held biotech company focused on the research and clinical development of novel targeted small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer with leading programs around histone deacetylases (HDAC) and kinases. Its lead candidate, SB939, has entered the clinic in 2Q 2007. In line with its vision to be a leading fully-integrated oncology-focused biotech company in Asia Pacific, S*BIO has established a state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure, complemented by a strong clinical development team. S*BIO has strong linkages with a network of medical oncologists in Asia Pacific. For more information, visit http://www.sbio.com or call 212/845-4251. |
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