PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2005--ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (OTC BB: ZIOP) announced today that ZIO-101, a novel organic arsenic, has demonstrated safety at doses approximately 25 times higher than the currently approved dose for arsenic trioxide, an inorganic arsenic, in an ongoing Phase I trial that has treated 11 patients to date at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In addition, one patient with metastatic renal cell cancer responded with complete resolution of brain metastasis and overall stable disease. Luis Camacho, M.D. of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center will present the data from the Phase I trial at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Philadelphia, PA. The presentation was selected by the conference organizers for special coverage with the news media. The Phase I clinical trial was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of ZIO-101. The dose escalation study has completed dose cohort three, at which a significantly higher dose is administered as compared to the approved dose for arsenic trioxide. The MTD for ZIO-101 has not yet been reached.
