CytRx INNO-206 doxorubicin conjugate shows anti-multiple myeloma effects

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that in animal and in vitro studies, its tumor-targeting doxorubicin conjugate INNO-206 showed anti-multiple myeloma effects and enhanced the anti-tumor effects of bortezomib, which is approved for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma. The research was published in the May 22, 2012 online issue of peer-reviewed Clinical Cancer Research.

“We found that, in our mouse models of human myelomas, INNO-206 alone produced marked anti-multiple myeloma effects at a dose at which doxorubicin alone was extremely toxic, and the combination of INNO-206 and bortezomib produced increased anti-multiple myeloma effects compared to either agent alone.”

"Anthracyclines including doxorubicin have shown efficacy especially in combination with other therapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma; however, side effects limit their use," said James R. Berenson, M.D., Medical & Scientific Director at the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Center Research, where the studies were conducted. "We found that, in our mouse models of human myelomas, INNO-206 alone produced marked anti-multiple myeloma effects at a dose at which doxorubicin alone was extremely toxic, and the combination of INNO-206 and bortezomib produced increased anti-multiple myeloma effects compared to either agent alone."

Dr. Berenson presented earlier research showing that INNO-206 safely and effectively delivered doxorubicin at higher doses than conventional doxorubicin to human myeloma cancers grown in immune-deficient mice. These findings were presented at the December 2010 Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

CytRx President and CEO Steven A. Kriegsman said, "This study provides further evidence that INNO-206 could have applicability in multiple cancer indications. We are initially conducting clinical trials with INNO-206 in soft tissue sarcoma and more recently in advanced pancreatic ductual adenocarcinomas."

Complete results from the CytRx Phase 1b/2 clinical trial with INNO-206 in patients principally with soft tissue sarcoma will be presented at the June American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, June 3.