Innovive has renamed the compound INNO-206 and plans to initiate a phase II study in a solid tumor indication shortly.
INNO-206 is a prodrug of the commonly used chemotherapeutic doxorubicin. Once administered, INNO-206 binds circulating albumin via an acid sensitive linker. Circulating albumin is known to preferentially accumulate in tumors. Once in the acidic environment of the tumor, the albumin-bound INNO-206 is cleaved to release free doxorubicin.
A phase I study of INNO-206 that demonstrated safety and objective clinical responses in a variety of tumor types was completed earlier this year and presented at the March 2006 Krebskongress meeting in Berlin. In this study, doses were administered at up to four times the standard dosing of doxorubicin without an increase in observed side effects over historically seen levels. Objective clinical responses were seen in patients with sarcoma, breast, and lung cancers.
“We believe INNO-206 is an excellent addition to Innovive’s expanding oncology pipeline,” said Steven Kelly, Innovive’s president and CEO. “This drug combines a proven mechanism of action in oncology, a means to dose escalate without the near- and long-term adverse events previously seen with anthracyclines, and potentially adds tumor-targeting properties.”