RESprotect partnering opportunity, Worldwide PDF Print E-mail
 R&D FOCUS drugnews: RESprotect partnering opportunity, Worldwide

drugnews.jpg

Focus on RESprotect - RP101

At BioSquare 2004, Rudolf Fahrig, CEO of RESprotect, discussed the company’s anti-recombinogenic agent RP 101, during an interview with R&D focus. RP 101, which acts by preventing the overexpression or amplification of oncogenes (DDX1, STAT3, and JUN-D), DNA repai  genes (UBE2N and APEX) and resistance genes (MDR and DHFR) and the down-regulation of DT-diaphorase, caspases and natural killer cell factor-4, has potential utility in inhibiting the induction of chemoresistance in cancer. A phase I/II European trial o  RP 101 in patients with different tumor types has been completed and RESprotect anticipates initiating a controlled phase II trial of RP 101 in patients with pancreatic cancer second half 2004. Discussions with ethical committees regarding the phase II study are ongoing.

In vitro, treatment with RP 101 in combination with mitomycin C, mitoxantrone or doxorubicin maintained the efficacy of the chemotherapy against AH13R sarcoma cells; treatment with multiple cycles of chemotherapy alone had decreasing efficacy. RP 101 was demonstrated to be efficacious in vitro in combination with doxorubicin, mitomycin C, mitoxantrone, methotrexate, etoposide, and gemcitabine. In vivo, RP 101 enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy and tumor regression when administered in combination with doxorubicin in an AH13R sarcoma model.

In a phase I/II study, RP 101 was safe and well tolerated when administered at 5000 mg per treatment cycle to 31 patients with cancer. RP 101 also reduced certain side effects of chemotherapy. In a subset of 7 patients with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma who received RP 101 in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, 3 patients had disease remission and 4 patients had stabl  disease; RP 101 was also found to increase the median survival of these patients. Partners are sought by RESprotect for the further development of the agent. For further information on the partnering opportunities available, see next article.

Cancer chemoresistance inhibitors, RESprotect

RESprotect is developing second generation anti-recombinogenic agents to inhibit the development of cancer chemoresistance. The agents are expected to be efficacious for all tumor types and for use in combination with any chemotherapy. Lead compounds, RP 301, RP 302 and RP 402, have been identified and are entering preclinical development. Partners are sought by RESprotect to further the development of these compounds, R&D focus was informed during an interview with Rudolf Fahrig, CEO of RESprotect, at BioSquare 2004.

For further information on the partnering opportunities available, contact:
    Prof Rudolf Fahrig
    Chief Executive Officer
    RESprotect
    Fiedlerstr 34,
    D-01307 Dresden
    Germany

    Tel: +49 351 450 32 01
    Fax: +49 351 450 32 10
    Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it