Mersana reports positive results from preclinical studies of anticancer drug

According to Mersana, the studies showed that XMT-1107, a novel anti-angiogenic fumagillin analog conjugated to Mersana’s Fleximer, demonstrated superior anti-tumor activity in tumor xenograft models in comparison to other anti-angiogenic agents and extended exposure to the conjugated drug, supporting the potential clinical utility of XMT-1107 as an anticancer agent.

Julie Olson, CEO of Mersana, said: “We’re encouraged by the ongoing progress we’re seeing with XMT-1107, which targets a novel mechanism to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation and has the potential to target a wide variety of angiogenic tumors. Earlier drugs in this class showed promising activity in the clinic but were discontinued due to reversible neurological toxicity.

“Conjugation of our novel fumagillin ‘warhead’ to Fleximer using a specific linker technology reduces central nervous system exposure in animal models to below detection limits. We look forward to advancing XMT-1107 into clinical studies by early 2010.”