SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OXiGENE, Inc. (Nasdaq:OXGN), a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat cancer and eye diseases, announced today that investigators at the University of Florida have initiated an investigator sponsored Phase 1 study of OXi4503 for the treatment of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). OXi4503 is a novel, next-generation anticancer agent that is the first compound to combine vascular disrupting activity with direct cytotoxicity, the latter mediated through a reactive quinone metabolite. The open-label, dose-escalating study, which is sponsored in part by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Therapy Acceleration Program, will be conducted in patients with relapsed or refractory AML or MDS and will evaluate the safety profile, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and biologic activity of OXi4503.
