BiPar initiates testing of anticancer compound

BSI-201 is the first of a new class of cancer therapies that selectively induces tumor cell death by inhibiting enzyme function central to tumor survival.

The drug is a potent, novel inhibitor of PARP (poly-adenyl-ribose polymerase), an important regulator of gene transcription and DNA repair. In numerous preclinical studies, BSI-201 has been shown to be very well tolerated and exhibited activity against a broad range of tumor types, including but not limited to ovarian, prostate, breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, cervical and bladder.

The open-label, dose-escalation clinical study will be conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the Institute for Drug Development in San Antonio.

The trial is designed to confirm safety of the drug in patients and establish a maximum tolerated dose and pharmacokinetic profile. Data on the drug’s activity also will be collected.

“The encouraging preclinical results across multiple cancer types combined with the favorable safety profile observed to date compared to traditional chemotherapeutic agents, makes this compound an attractive candidate for further development in the clinic,” said Dr Henry Xiong, assistant professor of GI Oncology and principal investigator of this study at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.