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news.The Polaris Group and The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have enrolled the first patient in a Phase 2 clinical trial (sponsored by LICR) evaluating the effectiveness of ADI-PEG 20 in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Duke University Medical Center.
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ADI is a microbial enzyme, arginine deiminase that degrades the amino acid arginine.
ADI-PEG 20 is ADI conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), and can selectively kill cancer cells without affecting the growth of normal cells.
LICR New York branch director Lloyd Old who has guided the scientific, clinical and early commercial development of ADI-PEG 20 said that enzymes such as asparaginase and arginine deiminase represent a novel class of cancer therapeutics which, used alone or in combination with other treatments, has the potential to be a promising new approach to the treatment of the disease.
Polaris CEO Bor-Wen Wu said Old and his seminal work on amino acid degrading enzymes has been an inspiration to the company in the search for cancer-treating drugs, and Polaris is enthusiastic about the potential of ADI-PEG 20 in SCLC patients.
Polaris plans to initiate clinical trials of ADI-PEG 20 in other cancers later this year, including a pivotal multinational Phase 3 study for hepatocellular carcinoma.