According to the institute, Elesclomol has a completely new and distinct mechanism of action from other cancer therapies as it induces a potent stress response in cancer cells, driving programmed cell death and enhancing the activity of chemotherapy. Elesclomol is being developed by Synta Pharmaceuticals, which is sponsoring the trial.
Steven O’Day, director of the melanoma program at the Angeles Clinic and Research Institute and principal investigator of the study, said: “To date, the clinical data we have seen for Elesclomol have shown a positive benefit to patients suffering from metastatic melanoma and provide a strong scientific basis for initiating this Phase III study.”