Access Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes proprietary products for the treatment and supportive care of cancer patients. The company recently commenced a phase II combination trial for its second generation DACH-platinum ovarian cancer drug ProLindac.
The trial is a study of intravenously administered ProLindac, in combination with paclitaxel; the trial will be conducted in up to eight European centers.
Proessor Esteban Cvitkovic, vice chairman, Europe, and senior director of Clinical Oncology R&D for Access, said the phase II trial is one of many studies to observe potential applications for ProLindac in the healthcare market.
“We are very pleased to be able to begin this trial, which will be the first of several ProLindac-based combination studies in a variety of indications,” Cvitkovic stated. “The ambitious two-step design of the study will allow us to rapidly benchmark ProLindac/paclitaxel in a clinical setting where there is a clear need to establish an improved standard for long-term tumor responses. When treated using the current first-line combination of carboplatin/paclitaxel, more than half of patients with advanced ovarian cancer will relapse. There are very few second-line options. Approved agents for second-line and later therapy are currently focused primarily on the palliation of more resistant tumors. This lack of valid second-line options presents an opportunity to prove the role of ProLindac-based combinations in ovarian cancer.”
Jeff Davis, president and CEO of Access, said that after the company optimizes ProLindac’s manufacturing process the company will move toward clinical development.
Access’ previously announced results reflect a clinical study of ProLindac’s safety and efficacy in late-stage, heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients, where 66 percent of patients who received the highest dose achieved the established specific serum marker for ovarian cancer.
For more information visit www.accesspharma.com
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