Boston, MA 06/12/2014 (wallstreetpr) – ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) announced that its cancer drug ISIS-ARRX was adopted in a Phase 1 clinical study by AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE:AZN).
Phase 1 Initiated
AstraZeneca has adopted ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS)’s drug in a clinical study involving patients suffering from cancer. ISIS received a milestone payment of $15 million for the clinical progress of ISIS-ARRX. The initiated study is in the first phase and is an open- label, dosage escalation procedure which aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ISIS-ARRX in patients having solid tumors in advanced stage. The study will evaluate the drug for the treatment of metastatic castrate resistant prostate, ovarian, bladder and breast cancers, where a major contributing factor is the androgen receptor (AR) conduit. The study will be marked with endpoints such as assessment of anti- tumor activity and AR and variations in levels of AR in tumor biopsies.
ISIS-ARRX
ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS)-ARRX is an antisense meditation which is aimed at treating patients having prostate cancer by slowing down androgen receptor production. Statistics demonstrate that prostate cancer is the second biggest reason causing cancer deaths in men in the U.S. the growth of the cancer, proliferation and advancement all depend on androgen and AR activity plays a major role in disease advancement at different stages of the cancer. The proposed drug for the treatment of prostate cancer helps in reducing all forms of AR production, including variants of its gene. It is hence expected to offer an effective treatment in the different stages of cancer, even in those patients who have shown no significant response to currently available treatment methodologies and therapies.
AstraZeneca is seeking to develop the drug in the treatment of patients in different settings in the course of prostate cancer therapy. The company poses to use the drug both as a single agent as well as in combination treatment.
