Rexahn Initiates Phase Ib Clinical Trial of RX-3117 for Treatment of Solid Tumors
Thursday, January 23, 2014
RX-3117 has Shown Efficacy Against Gemcitabine-Resistant Human Cancer Cell Lines and a Broad-Spectrum of Anti-Cancer Activity
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced the initiation of a Phase Ib clinical trial to study the safety and efficacy of RX-3117 in cancer patients with solid tumors.
RX-3117 is a next-generation cancer cell specific drug candidate that possesses a broad spectrum of anticancer activity with reduced side effects. In an exploratory Phase I clinical trial conducted in Europe, RX-3117 demonstrated oral bioavailability, and safety and tolerability in cancer patients with solid tumors. The compound has also shown efficacy in human cancer cell lines resistant to gemcitabine (one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs on the market today). Resistance to the anti-cancer effects of gemcitabine represents a major clinical issue in the treatment of cancer patients, as it has been estimated that up to 25% of cancer patients receiving one or more cycles of gemcitabine rapidly become resistant to its anti-cancer activity.