Meabco A/S's BP-Cx-1 Widens The Number Of First Line Cystostatic Agents

COPENHAGEN, December 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A few months after publishing the information on entering the final phase of clinical trials for breast cancer treatment with BP-C1 anti-cancer drug, the Danish biotech company Meabco A/S has released the first news on results of its proprietary carrier molecule BP-Cx-1.

BP-Cx-1 will be used in combination with other existing cancer chemotherapeutic agents as an enhancer, facilitating the efficacy and reducing the side effects.

The pre-clinical tests are being conducted with various groups of cytostatics (alkylating agents, antimetabolites, plant alkaloids, etc) with promising results; e.g. very good results were obtained with cis-platin from the platinum group of alkylating agents.

According to Mr. Anikin, PhD Biology, the chief researcher from Saint-Petersburg State Research Institute of Oncology, the results from pre-clinical trials initiated by Meabco A/S to study the interaction of its new proprietary ligand BP-Cx-1 with cytostatics may well open an entirely new perspective for wider use of cis-platin as a first line anti-cancer therapeutic.

The trials have established that the BP-Cx-1 ligand is capable of altering the permeability of the cell membrane, thus facilitating intracellulary transport of cis-platin.

The main problem associated with the use of anti-cancer chemotherapy today including platinum containing agents is the frequent side effects.

Development of a new "universal" ligand, however, which could successfully interact with cytostatics enhancing their safety as well as efficacy, is considered as highly perspective. To catch the market interest such a "universal ligand" has to possess a number of mutually excluding properties such as: the ability to efficiently bind a cytostatic thus reducing their toxicity while at the same time having the ability to release it when needed to amplify direct cytostatic effect.

The first release of information from the ongoing comparative studies with different types of cytostatics in the market covers a 30 days study with combination of BP-Cx-1 and cis-platin, conducted on mice inoculated with Erlich tumor (ELT). The studies established that the combination of BP-Cx-1 with cis-platin possesses remarkably lower toxicity (5-6 times) than the equivalent dosage of cis-platin alone and higher efficacy (up to 60% in the BP-Cx-1/cis-platin group against 5% in cis-platin group). The researchers observed a direct correlation between the efficacy of the combination of BP-Cx-1 and the concentration of platinum in tumor tissues of the animals used in the trials.

According to Mr. Anikin, who has a 25-year experience with pre-clinical studies of antitumor drugs: "These effects can be explained by some chemical interaction of BP-Cx-1 and cis-platin, leading to change in kinetics of the distribution of the drug and formation of a specific depot form of platinum. The test animals withstand the gradual release of platinum agent much better and in the final analysis this results in a considerable enhancement of the efficacy of equivalent dosages of cis-platin. I find the ongoing experiments with modern platinum drugs, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, of considerable interest and potential. The extended scope of the pharmacokinetics experiments will allow us to reveal new details about the distribution of platinum among tumor cells and normal cells of animals and compare the activities of ligands, e.g. cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylic acid used in carboplatin and BP-Cx-1 used in the BP-C1 drug. In the light of the obtained results it can be expected that the BP-Cx-1 ligand will open new perspectives for wider use of cis-platin also as a first line anti-cancer therapy. The continuing comparative studies with other existing groups of cytostatics and BP-Cx-1 may well lead to even wider opportunities and perspectives for cancer treatment in new combinations."

Meabco A/S is currently planning extension of the ongoing BP-C1 breast-cancer trials to include other cancer indications, where good patient results can be expected. The company strategy envisages that major part of the trials will be carried out in Denmark, while complementary trials may also be carried out in Sweden and Germany.

The breast-cancer trials have entered the phase of randomized double blind placebo trials to be launched shortly to establish the final confirmation of the efficacy, safety and improved quality of life effects of the BP-C1 anticancer drug.

The efficacy and profile of the BP-C family of anti-cancer agents can be expected to set new standards for patients' health and well-being during cancer treatment along with lower treatment and follow-up expenditures for the society.

A BP-C1 Health Care Cost comparison undertaken by independent consultants aims at quantifying the savings that can be achieved, without reducing the efficacy of the treatment. The study results will be available in the first part of 2007.

According to the CEO of Meabco A/S, Stig Lofberg, "Activities are running almost on schedule and the next step, licensing consultations, is being planned for the first and second quarters of 2007. By adding the BP-Cx-1 line of enhancer-products to the BP-C family road map we are not only introducing our own anti-cancer agent family headed by BP-C1 - but also expanding our activity platform with the aim of becoming a major supplier of enhancer and carrier ligands for existing anti-cancer agents. The scaling properties, the efficacy tuning and the reduction of side effects achieved through use of the BP-C agents will result in a better health economy for cancer treatment, meaning a win-win situation for the patients as well as society.

"One might say that we in a way are competing with ourselves, but in reality we are introducing a diversified marketing strategy where we ensure a faster access to efficacy and reduced side effects for a greater number of cancer patients. In computer world we today see the "Intel inside" statement and it may well turn out to be the case with biotech that more cancer agents in the future will state "BP-Cx-1 - the Meabco ligand inside" says Mr. Loefberg, who is very pleased with the development.

Meabco is a Danish Biotech company based on a portfolio of novel therapeutic products within the field of cancer

CONTACT: For further information, Stig Lofberg, stig.lofberg@meabco.com,Phone +45-32-46-03-70