Formulated with the company’s proprietary vitamin E-based Tocosol technology, Tocosol Camptothecin is a new chemical entity that is a conjugate of SN-38. SN-38 is the active ingredient in irinotecan, a commercially available camptothecin analog.
Preclinical data suggest that Tocosol Camptothecin may be more efficacious and better tolerated than irinotecan.
The phase I study of Tocosol will investigate the safety profile of Tocosol Camptothecin at different doses in order to determine the maximum tolerated dose in humans. The phase I study is also designed to observe anti-tumor effects of Tocosol Camptothecin as well as to characterize the pharmacokinetics of the drug.
“This promising compound may have the ability to improve outcomes in patients treated with camptothecin-based drugs,” said Howard Burris III, director of drug development at SCRI.