Mersana Therapeutics, a platform-based cancer therapeutics company, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to study the safety and pharmacokinetics of XMT-1107 in patients with refractory advanced solid tumors. XMT-1107 is a novel anti-angiogenic fumagillin analog that employs Mersana's Fleximer® platform. Mersana's XMT-1001, a conjugate of Fleximer and camptothecin (CPT), is currently completing a Phase 1 study.
Mersana recently announced an exclusive licensing agreement for XMT-1107 with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for all indications, including cancer, on a worldwide basis, excluding Japan. Under the terms of this agreement, Mersana received a milestone payment from Teva for the initiation of the Phase 1 trial. Mersana also recently presented preclinical pharmacokinetic and metabolism data for XMT-1107 at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010, demonstrating that pharmacokinetics of XMT-1107 were dose-proportional and that XMT-1107 exhibits enhanced biodistribution and sustained plasma exposure.
"XMT-1107 represents the second clinical application of Mersana's Fleximer platform in creating new drug candidates with superior qualities," said Julie Olson, Ph.D., President and CEO of Mersana. "Our preclinical studies have demonstrated that the Fleximer-linked drug XMT-1107 offers key important potential benefits over other fumagillin analogs that have undergone clinical trials. In laboratory studies, we have seen evidence of anti-tumor activity for XMT-1107 superior to that of other anti-angiogenic agents; additive activity in combination with other cancer agents; and an extended half-life relative to small molecule fumagillin analogs. We have demonstrated activity in a wide variety of cancer models, as well as a favorable preclinical safety profile. These key attributes may lead to broad promise for XMT-1107 in multiple oncology indications."
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