MADISON, WISCONSIN— At the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research today, Quintessence Biosciences presented the results of the IND-enabling toxicology studies for the Company’s lead cancer drug candidate, QBI-139. The toxicology results are a critical component of advancing a drug into human clinical trials.
QBI-139 is a potent anticancer agent based on the EVade™ Ribonuclease technology. The technology provides an opportunity to attack RNA, an exciting new cancer drug target, with analogs of the human protein, pancreatic ribonuclease 1. In preclinical disease models, QBI-139 has shown an exceptional safety profile and outstanding tumor growth inhibition in vivo against human pancreatic, non-small cell lung, prostate, and ovarian solid tumors. Quintessence projects a Phase 1 clinical trial to treat patients with solid tumors with QBI-139 will begin in the summer of 2008, subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review.
“The toxicology results indicate that QBI-139 is tolerated at much higher dose levels than similar drugs under development,” said Quintessence Biosciences COO Dr. Laura Strong. “Since drugs with a similar mechanism of action have demonstrated clinical benefit, we are optimistic that QBI-139 treatment will provide a significant advance in cancer therapy and will demonstrate the utility of ribonuclease therapies in treating cancer patients.”
About Quintessence Biosciences, Inc. Quintessence Biosciences, Inc. is a private biopharmaceutical company focused on development of proprietary cancer therapies based on the EVade™ Ribonuclease technology. Quintessence’s first product candidate, QBI- 139, is anticipated to enter a Phase 1 clinical trial in summer 2008. The company also has a pipeline of other EVade™ Ribonuclease products in preclinical research. For more information, visit www.quintbio.com.
About the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting Each year, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) brings together scientists and other professionals from around the world to learn about new and significant discoveries in basic, clinical, and translational cancer research. This year more than 17,000 participants from 60 countries will gather to discuss an estimated 6,000 abstracts and to hear more than 500 invited presentations. Scientific award lectures, grant writing workshops, networking events, and educational sessions will round out the comprehensive program. For more information, visit www.aacr.org.
