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news.EpiCept Corporation is accelerating the recruitment of patients in its phase I trial of its small molecule cancer drug with the initiation of a new study center, Tower Cancer Research Foundation in Los Angeles.
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The drug, EPC2407, belongs to a novel class of microtubulin inhibitors discovered by New York drug developer EpiCept. These compounds cause caspase activation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic death in cancer cells.
The phase I trial of EPC2407 is now being conducted in three US cancer centers and will administer increasing doses to small groups in approximately 30-40 patients with advanced stages of solid tumors. The primary objectives of the study are to determine the safety (maximum tolerated dose) and the pharmacokinetic profile of the drug.
The study will also characterize the pharmacodynamic effects on tumor blood flow and identify early signs of objective anti-tumor response as measured by CT scans, MRI or PET, in these advanced cancer patients with well vascularized solid tumors.
EpiCept president and CEO, Jack Talley, said: “We are pleased to be joined by Tower Cancer Research Foundation in the development of EPC2407 and we believe that their participation will result in our completing the trial ahead of plan. We expect to be in a position to report the results of this important clinical trial later this year.”