Health Canada has approved the amendment of the trial on ECO-4601. ECO-4601 is a potent inhibitor of the RAS genes which is an important validated target for anticancer therapies. RAS genes are the most frequently mutated oncogenes occurring in approximately 30 % of all human cancers
This selective inclusion of pancreatic cancer patients is consistent with Ecopia's clinical plans to focus on fast track opportunities, including glioma.
“With our most recent data showing that ECO-4601 is a potent inhibitor of the RAS-MAPK pathway, the next logical step for us was to include pancreatic cancer patients in our ongoing phase I clinical trial, since 90% of this type of cancer is RAS-dependent ” commented Dr Pierre Falardeau, President and CEO of Ecopia. “Focusing selectively on certain cancer types according to the specificity of the target is a way to increase our chances to highlight the efficacy of our lead compound.”
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in North America. The combined estimated number of new cases of pancreatic cancer for Canada and the US in 2006 is approximately 37,000, with 36,000 annual deaths. Among cancer patients of all types, pancreatic cancer patients have the lowest one-year survival rate, which is estimated at 19.6%.