Abstract No. 3511
American Society of Clinical Oncology 2009 Annual Meeting

BUFFALO, NY- A new cancer drug shows promising results in patients with metastatic cancer. The phase I clinical trial research will be presented by Alex A. Adjei, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President for Clinical Research and the Katherine Anne Gioia Chair in Cancer Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 annual meeting, May 29 – June 2, in Orlando, FL.

“Results of a Phase I Trial of KX2-391, a Novel Non-ATP Competitive Substrate-Pocket Directed SRC Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced Malignancies”
Saturday, May 30 – 3 pm EST Level 4, Valencia Room, W415A

A new cancer drug, KX2-391, designed by researchers at Kinex Pharmaceuticals, LLC, located in Buffalo, NY, was evaluated in a multi-center Phase 1 trial with 32 patients with metastatic solid tumors. The drug belongs to a family of targeted cancer therapies called src kinase inhibitors.

In this clinical study, seven of the 32 patients experienced prolonged stable disease of at least four months. These included two patients who were being treated for papillary thyroid carcinoma, two for carcinoid tumors and one each for prostate, pancreas, and head and neck cancers. Both the prostate and the pancreatic cancer patients exhibited dramatic decreases in their biomarkers. Dose-limiting toxicities that occurred in four patients were reversed within seven days. The remaining patients did not experience significant toxicities to the therapy.

“This new oral drug, which first demonstrated efficacy in preclinical studies, is now showing benefit in early-stage clinical trials. We believe KX2-391, which targets the enzymes that play critical roles in cancer metastasis, merits further examination in future clinical studies,” said Dr. Adjei.

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. RPCI, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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