CancerVax: Anti-Tumor Drug Study in ’06

CancerVax said Monday it has been OK’d to start clinical trials of its drug candidate D93 for solid tumors later in the year.

The company said it will begin preclinical studies of its monoclonal antibody to stop tumor growth and angiogenesis — the formation of new blood vessels that feed rapidly growing tumors — in a variety of cancer types.

CancerVax said its potential drug works differently from currently tested or already approved cancer treatments that stop angiogenesis, such as Avastin.

Instead, D93 binds with targets such as the collagen that is exposed while a tumor is forming.

In animal studies, D93 binded with this so-called denatured collagen in melanoma, and colon, breast and lung tumors, the company said.

Also, when the drug was combined with Taxol it inhibited tumor growth in animal models of human breast cancer better than did either treatment when used alone, CancerVax said.

D93 also shows promise in slowing tumor growth in pancreatic and melanoma cancers, the company added.