Celator, Cephalon extend cancer research agreement

Jan 10 2011

Celator Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has agreed with Cephalon, Inc. to extend an existing research agreement into the next phase of development. The research agreement provides for the utilization of Celator's proprietary technology in an ongoing drug development and life-cycle management program at Cephalon.

"We are pleased that our progress to date allows Cephalon and Celator to advance this promising work," said Scott Jackson, chief executive officer, Celator Pharmaceuticals. "It is rewarding to have a company of Cephalon's stature demonstrate the potential of our technology in its portfolio and make the ongoing financial commitment to continue this research."

Terms and conditions of the research agreement are confidential.

Celator is advancing a number of its own programs based on the Company's proprietary nano-scale delivery platforms. The Company has announced positive results from its Phase 2 study of CPX-351 (Cytarabine:Daunorubicin) Liposome Injection versus conventional cytarabine and daunorubicin therapy (known as the "7+3" regimen) in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. The study showed that patients treated with CPX-351 demonstrated a higher aplasia rate, a higher remission rate (including complete remissions [CR] and complete remissions with incomplete neutrophil/platelet recovery [CRi]), lower induction mortality, improved median event-free survival (EFS), and improved median overall survival (OS). Even more noteworthy were the improvements seen in high risk patients. In particular, patients with secondary AML treated with CPX-351 experienced a statistically significant improvement in survival.

CPX-351 is one of a pipeline of investigational cancer therapies developed using Celator's CombiPlex^® drug-ratio technology. Celator also has an agreement with the National Cancer Institute's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) whereby the NCL selected the Company's hydrophobic docetaxel prodrug nanoparticle formulation for intensive physical characterization, in-vitro studies, and in-vivo pharmacology and toxicology protocols to support an eventual investigational new drug (IND) filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.