Study confirms anticancer activity of Bioniche’s Urocidin

A preclinical evaluation study investigated the tolerability and anticancer activity of the mycobacterial cell wall-DNA complex (MCC) suspension, trademarked Urocidin, after intraperitoneal administration using a rat peritoneal DHD/K12/PROb colon carcinomatosis model.

Preliminary data from this study, suggesting a possible anticancer activity of MCC suspension against peritoneal colon cancer, was previously reported last year. New and updated data evaluating the survival efficacy of MCC suspension for a period of 12 months in animals with peritoneal colon cancer confirm and demonstrate a marked anticancer activity of MCC suspension in this model.

Intraperitoneal administration of MCC suspension was also well tolerated. At 12 months, only 10% of untreated control rats were still alive, while 70% of rats were still alive after nine intraperitoneal administrations of 0.625mg MCC suspension. Comparable anticancer activity was seen at higher doses (1.25 and 2.5mg).

“This study demonstrates that MCC suspension has a remarkably long duration of anticancer activity in rats having experimental colon metastases in the peritoneum,” said Dr Nigel Phillips, senior vice-president of scientific affairs and chief scientific officer at Bioniche. “There is an opportunity for using MCC suspension for treatment of patients with peritoneal metastasis from colorectal cancer. This is of particular interest given the high rate of colon cancer in developed countries.”

Bioniche recently received FDA approval to proceed with two multi-center phase III clinical trials evaluating Urocidin in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. One of these trials involves patients who are refractory to the current standard therapy – BCG. The second phase III trial will compare Urocidin to BCG as first-line therapy in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer at high risk of recurrence or progression.