DALLAS, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of preclinical data showing that RTA 402 prevented the development of lung cancer in an established mouse model of the disease. This data, produced in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Sporn from the Dartmouth Medical School, was discussed in an oral presentation at the AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Meeting being held in Boston, MA.
In an oral presentation and poster, Dr. Karen Liby showed that RTA 402 (also known as “CDDOMe”) protected mice from the development of invasive lung tumors following exposure to vinyl carbamate. This chemical reliably causes mice to develop a large number of tumors in their lungs. Furthermore, these tumors tend to be highly invasive and aggressive, which represents a fast- growing and deadly form of lung cancer.
Mice that were administered RTA 402 after they had been exposed to vinyl carbamate were found to have 99% lower tumor burden than animals that did not receive the drug. RTA 402-treated animals developed one-fifth the number of tumors found in animals that did not receive RTA 402, and these tumors were much smaller and less invasive than in unprotected animals. In animals that did not receive RTA 402, almost all of the tumors were found to be of the invasive, deadly type, while in animals receiving RTA 402 fewer than half of tumors were considered invasive. Overall, RTA 402 exhibited a highly significant effect in protecting against lung cancer in this model.
Previously, researchers at Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins demonstrated that a structural analogue of RTA 402 (RTA 403 or “CDDO-Im”) prevented the formation of liver cancer induced by a potent carcinogen known as aflatoxin. This research was published as the cover article in the prestigious journal Cancer Research in February, 2006. This new study supports these earlier findings and indicates that this new class of drugs, known as the synthetic triterpenoids, holds great promise in the area of cancer prevention. Additionally, the data indicate that these drugs may prove useful in preventing the recurrence and metastasis of tumors that respond to initial therapies.
About RTA 402 and Reata’s Synthetic Triterpenoid Program
RTA 402 and a number of related drugs with the same mechanism of action were licensed by Reata from Dartmouth College and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Two drugs from this series, RTA 402 and RTA 401, are currently in Phase 1 clinical trial for cancer indications. Trials in non- cancer indications are planned for early 2007.
These drugs are first-in-class anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents with a unique mechanism of action. They selectively modulate the function of proteins that monitor and respond to changes in intracellular levels of oxidative stress. Consequently, they inhibit inflammatory processes that are essential for tumor growth, progression, and resistance to treatment. In normal cells, these drugs induce important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses, protecting the cells from toxic injury, inflammation, and carcinogenic transformation. Intensive preclinical studies have shown that Reata’s triterpenoids selectively kill cancer cells while protecting normal tissue from radiation damage and chemotherapy-induced toxicity.
Based on this unique combination of effects, these drugs have shown exceptional and broadbased activity in animal models of cancer, mucositis, autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease), respiratory disease, and transplantation. Available data from clinical studies suggest they are very well tolerated in humans and have significant anti- inflammatory and anticancer effects.
About Reata
Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Founded in 2002, Reata is developing five distinct classes of cancer drugs licensed from leading academic institutions. The company has three drugs in Phase 1 clinical development: RTA 744 for primary brain cancers; RTA 402 for solid tumors and lymphoid malignancies; and RTA 401 for leukemias and solid tumors. Reata is matching its clinical and preclinical drug development programs with a best-of-class drug discovery platform to identify small molecule chaperones that can induce proper folding of p53, SOD, and Tau, misfolded proteins that are involved in cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Melissa Krauth of Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-972-865-2205,or melissa.krauth@reatapharma.com
Web site: http://www.reatadiscovery.com/
