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news.Adherex has entered into an agreement with the International Childhood Liver Tumor Strategy Group, known as SIOPEL, for the conduct of a phase III trial of sodium thiosulfate, to reduce or prevent hearing loss in children associated with platinum-based chemotherapies.
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“While medicine has made great strides in treating childhood cancers, some chemotherapies still have unfortunate, and potentially preventable, side effects,” said Penelope Brock, consultant in pediatric oncology, Great Ormond Street Hospital in the UK. “Cisplatin, for instance, continues to be an important treatment option but can cause permanent hearing loss.”
The phase III trial is intended to compare the level of hearing loss associated with cisplatin alone, a platinum based drug, versus the combination of cisplatin plus sodium thiosulfate (STS), as well as the safety, tolerability and anti-tumor activity.
“Currently, there are no approved drugs for protecting against this type of hearing loss. Under the terms of the agreement, Adherex will provide drug and drug distribution; the trial will otherwise be fully conducted by SIOPEL,” said William Peters, CEO of Adherex.
Adherex has licensed intellectual property rights from Oregon Health & Science University for the use of STS as a chemoprotectant. The trial for STS is projected to begin in early 2007.