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Arius begins toxicology program for lead anti-cancer antibody in preparation for first human studies
Arius begins toxicology program for lead anti-cancer antibody in preparation for first human studies.
About this update from Affinity Metals Corp
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nTORONTO, July 23 /CNW/ - ARIUS Research Inc., (TSX: ARI) a biotechnology\ncompany discovering and developing the next wave of antibody therapeutics,\ntoday announced that the Company has initiated the first study in the formal\npre-clinical toxicology program for its lead anti-CD44 drug candidate, which\nis under development for the treatment of breast, prostate and liver cancers.\nARIUS expects to file an IND application and begin human clinical trials in\n2008.\n\n\n"We have initiated a pre-clinical dose-finding toxicology study for our\nCD44 targeting antibody, which will generate important safety data to be\nincluded in our application to the FDA for permission to begin studies in\ncancer patients," said Dr. Susan Hahn, Director Drug Development at ARIUS.\n"Previous studies with ARH460-16-2 have clearly demonstrated very potent\ninhibition of cancer cell growth in a number of test model systems including a\ntype of breast cancer that cannot be treated with currently available\nantibodies or hormone therapies."\n\n\nARIUS is developing its novel CD44-targeting antibody for the treatment\nof solid tumors such as breast, prostate and liver cancers. Published research\nshows that certain cells in a cancer tumor behave differently from the rapidly\ndividing cells that are killed by standard cancer treatments. These cells\nsurvive standard therapies and are suspected of causing the spread of cancer\neven after patients appear to have responded to conventional treatments. CD44\ncan be used as a way of identifying these lethal, cancer stem cells and CD44\ncan also be the target for drugs to kill them and ultimately improve patient\nsurvival. CD44 has been shown to identify cancer stem cells in leukemia,\nbreast, prostate and head and neck cancer.\n\n\n"This is an exciting time for ARIUS as we establish the path for bringing\nour first therapeutic antibody into clinical development," said Dr. Robert\nGundel, Chief Scientific Officer of ARIUS. "A novel antibody that targets\ncancer stem cells as part of its mechanism of action represents a new approach\nto cancer treatment with the potential of better efficacy and less toxicity\nfor patients."\n\n\nAbout ARIUS\n\n\nARIUS is a biotechnology company discovering and developing the next wave\nof antibody therapeutics. Established in 1999, AR...