Pro-Pharmaceuticals cancer trial on track

The study has been designed as two-stage trial for third- and fourth-line treatment of colorectal cancer patients. In this investigation, patients with colon cancer, which has spread despite treatment with approved therapies, are receiving Davanat plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in monthly cycles for at least two cycles or until their disease progresses.

The safety of Davanat plus 5-FU, a common chemotherapy drug for this form of cancer, will be evaluated, along with its ability to induce tumor shrinkage or prevent further growth. These patients are refractory to 5-FU and have a minimum of 12 weeks to live.

Initial dosing of patients began in May 2005. The company expects to report preliminary results in the second quarter of this year as patients continue to receive treatment.

Davanat is a proprietary polysaccharide polymer comprised of mannose and galactose carbohydrates in a Carbosome formation that enables the targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs to protein receptors (lectins) on cancer cells.