Under the agreement, phase I and II clinical trials will be conducted by the New Approaches to Brain Tumor Therapy CNS Consortium (NABTT) in two different patient populations beginning in early 2006.
Diffusion Pharmaceuticals also plans clinical trials for its drug candidate, trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), in hemorrhagic shock, with a focus on the treatment of wounded soldiers suffering from severe blood loss on the battlefield.
“TSC’s novel mechanism of action provides a whole new approach to radiation therapy,” said Dr Stuart Grossman, Johns Hopkins director of clinical and laboratory neuro-oncology programs and NABTT project leader. “We are excited by its prospects and intend to start clinical trials in patients with primary brain tumors as soon as possible.”
Medical experts believe that TSC’s oxygen-enhancing ability may be useful in cancer treatment by increasing the response of cancerous tumors to radiation therapy.