LONDON (Alliance News) - Life sciences company ValiRx PLC Tuesday said that its ValiSeek Ltd joint venture with Tangent Reprofiling Ltd has received positive results from an efficacy study into novel cancer drug VAL401 as a treatment for lung cancer, and it plans to undertake further efficacy tests for its use against other cancers.
In a statement, ValiRx, which focuses on cancer treatments and personalised medicine, said pre-clinical trial studies into the efficacy of VAL401 in non-small cell lung cancer showed a mean response with at least a 50% reduction in the rate of tumour growth in an accepted standard cancer model.
"Furthermore, no adverse effects were seen during the course of the experiment, which comprised six weeks of continuous treatment at three differing dose levels," it said.
The in vivo study results will form the foundation of a submission for scientific advice to the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for its review of the planned clinical development programme for VAL401, ValiRx said. The formulation and preliminary pre-clinical toxicology results are expected be collated and reported by the end of 2014, it added.
ValiRx said it will carry out more efficacy studies in due course to establish the potential use of VAL401 and its broad spectrum use against solid adenocarcinoma tumours - cancers of hormone responsive glandular origin, which include prostate, breast and pancreatic cancers and other small cell lung cancers.
"The ValiSeek pre-clinical efficacy results are highly encouraging and progress VAL401 further down its remaining pre-clinical development pipeline. This adds commercial value and further enhances ValiRx's portfolio of treatments for multiple cancer indications," ValiRx Chief Executive Satu Vainikka said in a statement.
ValiSeek was formed to develop VAL401 through its remaining preclinical development and towards clinical efficacy, or Phase II, trials for the treatment of lung cancer and potentially other oncology indications.
By Steve McGrath; stevemcgrath@alliancenews.com; @stevemcgrath1
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