add to favorites

    Announced February 13th on Rigel's site, the second of several phase I studies to evaluate the safety and initial efficacy of the candidate R763 in different types of cancers is starting. The trials will tests the inhibitor in solid tumors, hematological malignancies, and in combination with standard therapies.

    Merck Serono licensed development and commercialization rights to R763 and Rigel's Aurora kinase program in October 2005. Aurora kinases are a family of kinases (proteins that put phosphate groups on other proteins) that regulate mitosis (cellular division). It is thought that these kinases are deregulated in cancer, and culture cell studies have shown Aurora kinases have anti-tumor effects.

    This phase I study is designed to evaluate safety and tolerability at two different dosing regimens of the Aurora kinase inhibitor. Subjects with acute or chronic myeloid leukemiaterm (AML or CML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) will be enrolled in each regimen and dosed orally with R763. "R763 has shown encouraging results in in-vitro and in-vivo models of hematological malignancies where Aurora kinase is thought to play a role," said Donald Payan, executive vice president of Rigel.

 The press release can be found here.