LONDON, Nov. 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Speaking at today's Annual General Meeting of Antisoma plc (LSE:ASM), Chairman Dr. Barry Price will review progress in the Company's pipeline of cancer drugs and highlight the latest developments in the AS1404 and TTA programmes:
"Our vascular targeting agent AS1404 is now in a phase II programme designed to evaluate its efficacy in combination with other treatments. This places us amongst the leaders in an exciting new approach to cancer therapy based on opening a 'second front' by attacking tumour blood vessels at the same time as using established drugs to target the cancer directly. Treatment of patients has begun in our first combination study, which is evaluating AS1404 alongside carboplatin and paclitaxel in non-small cell lung cancer. We are therefore on track to report the first efficacy findings from this study during next year. I can now confirm that we plan to start further trials in ovarian and prostate cancers in the first half of 2005. As with the lung cancer study, these trials will evaluate the benefit of adding AS1404 to approved cancer treatments: paclitaxel and carboplatin in the ovarian study and docetaxel in the prostate study. We have extensive preclinical data showing enhanced anti-cancer effects when AS1404 is added to other treatments including paclitaxel and docetaxel.
Two other Antisoma drugs are in phase I trials, both in the United States. Roche is evaluating R1550 in breast cancer and we are testing AS1405 in the brain cancer glioma. Results of the R1550 study are expected during 2005. We also expect to have sufficient data from the glioma study to take AS1405 into a phase II programme during next year.
Our preclinical effort is now focused on three priority programmes, TTAs (telomere targeting agents), AS1409 and AS1406, each of which has broad potential against a range of cancers. Antisoma recently presented further promising data showing the ability of our first TTA agent to block the growth of prostate cancer in a human xenograft model. I now announce that we have selected a lead compound from the TTA programme to take forward into clinical trials under the name AS1410.
With these developments 2005 will be an important year for us, as all three of our drugs in the clinic will reach major development milestones. We continue to evaluate opportunities to further enhance our pipeline, and intend to add another clinical product to our portfolio within the next few months."
Except for the historical information presented, certain matters discussed in this statement are forward looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties may be associated with product discovery and development, including statements regarding the company's clinical development programmes, the expected timing of clinical trials and regulatory filings. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially.
Explanatory notes
Vascular targeting agents attack tumours by selectively disrupting their established blood supply, an approach distinct from anti-angiogenesis drugs that block the growth of new vessels into tumours.
About Antisoma
Based in London, U.K., Antisoma is a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel products for the treatment of cancer. The Company fills its development pipeline by acquiring promising new product candidates from internationally recognised academic or cancer research institutions. Its core activity is the preclinical and clinical development of these drug candidates. Antisoma forms partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to bring its products to market. In November 2002, Antisoma formed a broad strategic alliance with Roche to develop and commercialise products from Antisoma's pipeline. Please visit www.antisoma.com for further information about Antisoma.