Date: Jan 13, 2010 Source: (
click here to go to the source)
MADISON, WISCONSIN -- Quintessence Biosciences, In
c. announced today the e
xpansion of the Phase 1
clinical trial of its drug candidate, QBI-139, in patients w
ith late-stage solid tumors
. The study will be available
through The University of Texas M. D. Ande
rson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Unlike conventional chemotherapies, the EVade™ Ribonuc
lease technology provides an
opportunity to attack
RNA in cancer cells, an exciting new
drug target, with QBI-139, which is n
early identical to a human protein,
pancreatic ribonuclease 1. In
preclinical disease models, QBI-139
has shown significant tumor growth
inhibition against human colorectal
, pancreatic, non-small cell lung, pr
ostate, and ovarian solid tumors.
"QBI-139 is an exciting new dr
ug that has demonstrated broad activity in
pre-clinical models,"
said Jennifer J.
Wheler, M.D., Assistant Professor in
the Department of Investigationa
l Cancer Therapeutics and Principal
Investigator for the study at M. D. Anderson. "We are ex
cited to work with Quintesse
nce on this first in human
study of an RNA targeting therapeutic."
"We are pleased to be able to work with M.D. Ande
rson, a world-renowned cancer re
search institution," said
Quintessence Biosciences Pres
ident Dr. Laura Strong. "Rib
onuclease therapies are po
ised to fill a need for
drugs that attack cancer by alternative means than
chemotherapies or protein targeted therapies."
Contact Information
Laura Strong, Presid
ent and COO
608-441-2950
lauras@quintbio.com
About Quintessence Biosciences, Inc.
Quintessence Biosciences, Inc. (
www.quintbio.com
) is a private biopharmaceutical company focused on development of
proprietary cancer therapies based on the EVade™ Ribonuc
lease technology. Quintessence's first product candidate, QBI-
139, is in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The company also has
a pipeline of other EVade™ Ribonuclease products in preclinical
research.
About QBI-139
QBI-139 is a potent anticancer agent based on the EVad
e™ Ribonuclease technology. The technology provides an
opportunity to attack RNA, an exciting new drug target, in
cancer cells with analogs of the human pancreatic ribonuclease
1. In preclinical disease models, QBI-139 has shown a strong to
lerability profile and outstanding tumor growth inhibition
in vivo
against human colorectal, pancreatic, non-small cell l
ung, prostate, and ovarian solid tumors. The website
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
outlines basic information for the ongoing
Phase I human clinical trial of QBI-139.
About The University of Texas M.
D. Anderson Cancer Center
Celebrating more than six decades of Making Cancer History®
, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
is located in central Houston on the sprawling campus of
the Texas Medical Center. It is one of the world's most
respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer pa
tient care, research, education and prevention.
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was created
in 1941 as a component of The University of Texas System. The institution is
one of the nation's original three comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National
Cancer Act of 1971 and is one
of 40 National Cancer Institute-designate
d comprehensive cancer centers today.
In 2009, U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospita
ls" survey ranked M. D. Anderson as the top hospital in
the nation for cancer care. M. D. Anderson has achieved the top
ranking six times in the past eight years and has ranked as
one of the top two hospitals for cancer care for 20 years,
since the magazine began its annual survey in 1990.
