Transdrug is a treatment based on nanotechnology developed by BioAlliance Pharma. It allows intracellular drug targeting to optimize drug efficacy and patient tolerance. Doxorubicin Transdrug couples this technology with doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent that is powerful and effective against many forms of cancer. In the case of hepatocellular carcinoma, Doxorubicin Transdrug is injected directly into the liver via a catheter inserted in the hepatic artery.
The phase I/II clinical trial was carried out in France. The main objective for the trial was to determine the maximum tolerated dose that could be used in future clinical trials, and also to evaluate the efficacy of doxorubicin Transdrug.
During the trial, 20 patients with advanced liver cancer were treated with an injection of doxorubicin Transdrug into the hepatic artery. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in this study was 30mg/m2 and this is the dose that will be used for the clinical development.
“The preliminary results of the trial are very promising and represent an important step for the development of Doxorubicin Transdrug as we prepare for the phase II/III trial slated for Q3 2006,” said Dr Dominique Costantini, president and CEO of BioAlliance Pharma. “These results are also extremely positive because of their encouraging implications for the future application of our Transdrug nanotechnology platform.”