The study will be conducted in patients with advanced cancer who express the tumor molecular target N-cadherin. This study is the first in which Adherex will explore weekly dosing. The study will also utilize dynamic MRI imaging to monitor the drug’s effect.
The phase Ib/II trial is an open label, dose ranging, multi-centered trial which will assess the safety and efficacy of Exherin as well as the drug’s impact on blood flow to the tumor. The company expects to enroll up to 40 patients with a variety of N-cadherin positive, advanced resistant cancers.
“Initiating this phase Ib/II trial achieves another major step in advancing our lead angiolytic and anticancer drug Exherin. This next level of evaluation builds on the positive findings of our ongoing phase I study,” said Dr William Peters, chairman and CEO of Adherex.
“That trial has demonstrated that Exherin has a satisfactory safety and pharmacokinetic profile and has shown evidence of anti-tumor activity, all of which is encouraging us to accelerate the clinical development of this drug.”