Unlike standard taxanes such as paclitaxel, which must be infused intravenously, tesetaxel is administered by mouth as a capsule, the company said.
The new study will examine the clinical pharmacology of the drug over a narrow dosing range around the established Phase II dose. As a late Phase II agent, tesetaxel is an oral taxane currently in clinical development.
Loretta Itri, chief medical officer of Genta, said: “Successful development of an oral taxane has been a research goal that has eluded many pharmaceutical companies. Tesetaxel has already been tested in more than 250 patients with various types of cancer in the US, Europe and Japan.
“By eliminating serious hypersensitivity infusion reactions, as well as potentially reducing nerve damage and overcoming resistance to standard taxanes, tesetaxel may offer important new treatment options for patients with advanced cancer.”