VIOQUEST DOSES FIRST PATIENT IN PHASE I/IIA VQD-001 TRIAL.Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (VQPH:OTC OTC See: Over-the-counter. OTC See over-the-counter market (OTC). .BB), Basking Ridge, NJ, has dosed the first patient in its Phase I/IIa clinical trial of VQD-001, Sodium Stibogluconate Sodium stibogluconate is a medicine used to treat leishmaniasis and is only available for administration by injection. It belongs to the class of medicines known as the pentavalent antimonials. (SSG SSG abbr. staff sergeant ), for evaluation of solid tumors, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. VQD-001 has shown in preclinical studies preclinical studies, n.pl a term used to describe research done before a clinical study. May be laboratory or epidemiologic research. to specifically inhibit protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), a family of enzymes believed to play a crucial role in solid tumor formation. PTPs are over-expressed in many advanced malignancies, including renal cancer and melanoma. Based on preclinical activity demonstrated in animal models, VQD-001 may represent a novel oncology therapeutic for halting solid tumor growth. The MD Anderson trial is under the direction of principal investigator Luis Camacho, M.D., M.P.H., and is the first corporate- sponsored study of VQD-001. Dr. Camacho is an Assistant Professor in the Phase I Program, Division of Cancer Medicine, whose research interests include cell signal inhibition and specific antibody mediated therapies. The trial is a Phase I/IIa, open-label, dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of VQD-001 in combination with Interferon alpha-2b for patients with advanced malignancies. Among the goals of this clinical trial is to find the highest tolerable dose of VQD-001 combined with Interferon alfa-2b interferon alfa-2b, recombinant Intron A, Viraferon (UK) Pharmacologic class: Biological response modifier Therapeutic class: Antineoplastic, antiviral Pregnancy risk category C in the treatment of patients with advanced cancer that have not responded to standard treatment or where there is no standard treatment for that type of cancer. The effectiveness and safety of this drug combination will also be studied.Researchers also want to study the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of the treatment. PK testing is the study of what the body does to a drug over time, including how it is absorbed into the body, how it moves throughout the body, and how the body gets rid of the drug. Dr. Camacho said, "I am most pleased to be leading this trial. VQD- 001's long safety history gives us a real boost as we explore its anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors. The pre- clinical animal models are very encouraging and our trial could shed light to a new family of anti-cancer compounds." Dan Greenleaf, 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. of VioQuest, added, "The acceptance of our IND and the commencement of the trial for VQD-001 mark the achievement of another important clinical milestone for VioQuest. We are very excited about the potential of this compound and we look forward to further clinical progress in the months ahead." There is an investigator-initiated Phase I/IIa study of VQD-001 in advanced malignancies currently in progress at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, led by Ernest C. Borden, M.D., Director of Experimental Drug Discovery and Development, and Ronald Bukowski, M.D., Head of Experimental Therapeutics and Deputy Director of the Center. This trial is fully funded by the National Institutes of Health. VioQuest expects to report interim results from this trial during the first half of 2007. About VQD-001: Sodium Stibogluconate (SSG) VQD-001 is a clinical stage drug with a novel anti-tumor action that has potential as a treatment for cancer, either alone or in combination with other therapeutics. It has shown compelling preclinical activity, in multiple myeloma multiple myeloma A malignant proliferation of abnormal plasma cells that populate the marrow-containing bones of the body. The affected plasma cells produce myeloma protein, a monoclonal antibody that replaces normal antibodies in the blood, thereby increasing susceptibility , 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. , bladder, 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. cell lines. Investigators at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center found that VQD-001 inhibits specific protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases), which are over-expressed in certain cancers. This over-expression plays an integral role in tumor growth in certain cancers. About VioQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. VioQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing, and commercializing targeted late preclinical and early clinical stage therapies with unique mechanisms of action for oncology, viral and autoimmune disorders Autoimmune Disorders Definition Autoimmune disorders are conditions in which a person's immune system attacks the body's own cells, causing tissue destruction. . A pioneer in targeted therapeutics, VioQuest has two oncology compounds in clinical trials. VQD-001, an inhibitor of specific protein tyrosine phosphatases, has shown compelling preclinical activity in both renal and melanoma cancers; and VQD-002, which inhibits the phosphorylation phosphorylation, chemical process in which a phosphate group is added to an organic molecule. In living cells phosphorylation is associated with respiration, which takes place in the cell's mitochondria, and photosynthesis, which takes place in the chloroplasts. of Akt, an enzyme found in abnormal levels in breast, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, and liquid cancers. VioQuest's subsidiary, Chiral chi·ral adj. Of or relating to the structural characteristic of a molecule that makes it impossible to superimpose it on its mirror image. chi·ral Quest, a leader in asymmetric chemocatalysis and custom synthesis, offers its proprietary technology products to well-known pharmaceutical and fine chemical companies worldwide to improve their production efficiencies and, in some instances, to increase the overall safety and efficacy of the underlying drug. For more information, call 908/766-4400. |
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