Advertisement Wilex finds head and neck cancer drug to be safe - Pharmaceutical Business review
Pharmaceutical Business review is using cookies

ContinueLearn More
Close

Wilex finds head and neck cancer drug to be safe

Biopharma company Wilex has said it has successfully completed a Phase Ib study of its drug candidate in patients with head and neck cancer. The study in 18 patients was conducted in several centers in Germany.

WX-671 was administered in different doses to patients for 15 days before surgery. It was found to be safe and well tolerated at all dose levels tested. The study demonstrated that the orally administered prodrug WX-671 is converted into the active compound WX-UK1. Bioanalytical tests of the tissue from the surgically removed tumor showed for the first time that significant concentrations of the active metabolite WX-UK1 could be achieved in the tumor tissue.

WX-671 is being developed as part of the company’s urokinase-type plasminogen activator inhibitor program. Currently, WX-671 is being studied in a clinical Phase II trial in pancreatic cancer.

Dr Paul Bevan, head of R&D and member of the executive management at Wilex, said: “This study is an important step in our uPA development program. WX-671 delivers adequate concentrations of active WX-UK1 in tumor tissues in patients is a significant milestone.”