ADHEREX INITIATES PHASE IB/II EXHERIN TRIAL IN EUROPE

Adherex Technologies has received regulatory approval from Swiss Medic to initiate a Phase Ib/II clinical trial of its lead angiolytic compound Exherin in advanced cancer patients who express the tumor molecular target N-cadherin.

This study is the first in which the company will explore weekly dosing. The study will also utilize dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the drug's effect. The Phase Ib/II trial is an open-label, dose-ranging, multicentered trial restricted to patients with N-cadherin positive tumors, which will assess the safety and efficacy of Exherin as well as the drug's impact on perfusion, or blood flow to the tumor.

In addition to receiving drug, each patient will undergo tumor imaging to assess shrinkage in the tumor and, where possible, dynamic MRI to view changes in tumor blood flow. The company expects to enroll up to 40 patients with a variety of N-cadherin positive, advanced resistant cancers.