EC145 Produces Significant Anti-Tumor Activity In Advanced OVCA Patients

Endocyte, Inc., a cancer drug discovery and development company, presented data from a Phase IIa clinical trial for EC145, currently in development as a potential treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. Results were presented at the European Society of Gynaecologic Oncology (ESGO) meeting held in Belgrade, Serbia last week. In 49 women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer, EC145 was shown to have anti-tumor activity in a significant percentage of participants in the trial.

The study participants had disease that was highly resistant to standard chemotherapy. Subjects had a median of four prior exposures to chemotherapy (with a range of 1 to 14 prior treatments), and 88 percent were diagnosed with "bulky disease" defined as having a tumor volume of greater than 5cm in diameter. Nevertheless, the overall disease control rate, defined as stable disease, partial or complete response to therapy, was 40.8 percent (20 of 49 women).

Prior to the start of treatment with EC145, the women were scanned with 99mTc-EC20 [EC20], a molecular imaging agent that binds to folate receptors (FR) which are the molecular targets for the EC145 therapy. When scanned with EC20, 76 percent of patients were found to be folate-receptor "positive." In the subgroup of patients who were EC20 "positive" and who had failed four or fewer prior therapies, the disease control rate was 75 percent (9 of 12 women) and two patients exhibited a RECIST ("Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors") partial response. Across all patients, the drug was well tolerated with no grade 4 toxicities. The most common grade 3 toxicity was fatigue (8.2 percent).

The clinical trial involving the platinum resistant ovarian cancer evaluation of Doxil and EC145 combination therapy (known as the "PRECEDENT" trial - http://www.endocyte.com/precedent/index.html) is recruiting according to the clinical trial summary (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT00722592?show_locs+y#locn)

Learn more at Libby's H*O*P*E* (http://healthinfoispower.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/endocytes-ec145-produces- significant-anti-tumor-activity-in-advanced-stage-chemoresistant-ovarian-ca ncer-patients/) -- Paul