The therapeutic peptide – originally named TT-232 and now referred to as CAP-232 – was developed at Biostatin Pharmaceutical R&D of Budapest, Hungary. Biostatin characterized CAP-232’s mechanism of action in several animal model studies demonstrating dramatic reductions in tumor volumes across multiple cancer indications.
The Hungarian company also successfully completed extensive preclinical toxicology studies and two phase I clinical trials, demonstrating safety and tolerability of CAP-232, which works through a novel mechanism targeting the distinct metabolism of tumor cells. CAP-232 showed early signs of efficacy in a phase IIa trial in 12 patients with refractory metastatic melanoma.
The product is being in-licensed from Expergen, a technology transfer and development organization. Caprion expects to initiate two additional phase IIb studies in cancer by the fourth quarter of 2006.
“The acquisition of a safe and potentially blockbuster biologic in oncology is precisely what we were seeking to mature our clinical development pipeline, which we now expect to have at least three phase II or later programs by year-end,” said Lloyd Segal, Caprion’s president & CEO.