AETERNA ZENTARIS ADVANCES AN-152 TARGETED ANTICANCER AGENT INTO CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT

AEterna Zentaris has initiated a company-sponsored Phase I dose-ranging study for its targeted anticancer agent AN-152.

AN-152 is a novel cytotoxic conjugate that has the potential to selectively and specifically target certain types of cancer cells that express Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormones (LHRH) receptors and thereby may offer a better safety and efficacy profile as compared to the cytotoxic agent alone.

The Phase I study, which will be conducted at university clinics in Gottingen and Frankfurt/Main in Germany, will evaluate the safety (including maximum-tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity) and pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered AN-152 in patients with LHRH receptor positive ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer. A high percentage of these cancers, in addition to hormone-refractory prostate cancer, are known to be LHRH receptor positive and, therefore, represent logical initial indications for AN-152.