CTI confirms patient enrolment for brostallicin trial

Cell Therapeutics (CTI) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Systems Medicine have confirmed that the first patients have been enrolled for the Phase Ib trial of brostallicin, used in combination with either bevacizumab or irinotecan, for patients with advanced solid tumours.

CTI has described the trial as unique due to the “complete” nature of the Phase I study where genomic-driven discovery is being used to identify agents for use with brostallicin.

Genomic profiling is selecting combinations of a new drug with existing therapies to increase the probability of observing tumour responses in Phase I which could boost the overall success of the development programme.

“Most new drug approvals in development are in combination with existing regimens by Phase III. By utilising the complete Phase I design, it is possible to rapidly explore several genomicly-guided combinations that could speed up the development process and potentially bring benefit to more patients,” said chief scientific officer of US Oncology Daniel D Von Hoff.

The combination of brostallicin with bevacizumab or irinotecan is based on existing data which strongly suggests further investigation of the combinations.

Last year, vice president of corporate policy and strategic management at Pfizer Frederick W Telling joined the board of directors of CTI.