The data were presented at the 9th International Workshop on the Tumor Microenvironment Meeting being held at Christ Church College in Oxford, UK.
Oxigene believes that OXi4503 is the first in a new class of anticancer compounds known as ortho-quinone prodrugs (OQPs), which display a novel cytotoxic effect in addition to their proven vascular targeting capabilities mediated by their action on the tubulin cytoskeleton.
Unlike anti-angiogenesis agents that focus on preventing new tumor blood vessels from forming, OQPs appear to attack existing blood vessel structures in the central regions of solid tumors and also appear to have a cytotoxic effect that could enable destruction of the outside rim of cells residing next to, and dependent on, normal tissue blood vessels. OXi4503 is currently in phase I clinical trials for the treatment of advanced cancers.
Dr Dai Chaplin, head of R&D and chief scientific officer for Oxigene, commented on the study, “These data shown by Professor Wardman et. al. provide direct evidence for an additional and novel mechanism of action for OXi4503. The formation of an ortho-quinone could lead to direct killing of tumor cells which would be augmented by the already known vascular disrupting activity of this drug candidate.”