Chroma Announces Positive Phase I Efficacy Data For Novel Cancer Therapy CHR-2797

Main Category: Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 14 Dec 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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Chroma Therapeutics Limited, one of the UK's leading pre-IPO biotechnology companies, announced positive data from a Phase I study with its oral, once-daily experimental cancer therapy CHR-2797 in the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and multiple myeloma (MM) who have failed on, or who are unsuitable for, chemotherapy.

Headline data from the study, which was presented by a key study investigator, Dr. Faith Davies of the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, were as follows:

-- 3 out of 13 AML patients treated in this study showed a complete response (CR) and one further AML patient became transfusion-independent;

-- one MM patient (out of two treated in this study) remained in stable disease after six months of treatment with CHR-2797; and

-- the drug was very well-tolerated during the study

Chroma is currently assessing CHR-2797 in AML and MDS patients in the Phase II portion of this trial. This trial is now fully recruited and results are expected in the first half of 2008.

Ian Nicholson, Chief Executive Officer of Chroma, commented: "We are very encouraged by the efficacy we have seen in this Phase I study and look forward to further exploring how patients with this debilitating disease might be treated with CHR-2797".

An abstract of the data from this study was submitted to the recent American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting and was subsequently selected for oral presentation. The full ASH presentation will be available at the company's website, http://www.chromatherapeutics.com.

About aminopeptidases and CHR-2797

Aminopeptidases are a family of intracellular enzymes involved in the supply of amino acids that are essential for cell growth. Inhibition of aminopeptidases has been shown to halt cell growth or cause apoptosis (cell death) in a large number of cancer cell lines. Conversely, normal (non-tumour) cell lines have been shown to be insensitive to aminopeptidase inhibition. CHR-2797 is a potent inhibitor of aminopeptidases that has demonstrated strong preclinical efficacy as monotherapy and has also been shown to strongly synergise with a number of leading cancer therapies in a range of cancer cells.

About Chroma Therapeutics

Chroma Therapeutics, based in Oxford (UK), is a drug discovery and development company focused in the fields of oncology and inflammatory disorders. Chroma is building a broad pipeline of first- or best-in-class treatments utilising its expertise in chromatin biology and its novel intracellular accumulation technologies, which include the ability to selectively target drugs to macrophages. Chroma is backed by a number of leading specialist investors, including Abingworth, Essex Woodlands, Gilde, Nomura Phase4 and The Wellcome Trust.

More information about Chroma can be found at http://www.chromatherapeutics.com.

Chroma Therapeutics Limited
http://www.chromatherapeutics.com

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