The phase II clinical trials will be conducted in cancer centers in the US and Europe. These studies will include patients with ovarian cancer who are experiencing their first relapse after primary surgery and chemotherapy, and are still sensitive to platinum chemotherapy.
The phase II trials will evaluate the efficacy of MORAb-003 both as a single agent and in combination therapy with carboplatin and taxane.
MORAb-003 is a monoclonal antibody that targets the folate receptor alpha (FRA), a target over-expressed in over 90% of ovarian cancers and a number of other solid tumors.
The antibody works via suppression of FRA-mediated signal transduction and induces tumor-specific cytotoxicity by both antibody dependent cellular and complement mediated immune-effector mechanisms.
“During the course of phase I clinical trials, a number of clinical responses were observed in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients treated with MORAb-003 alone,” stated Dr Martin Phillips, Morphotek’s sr vice president of clinical development.