PROGEN EXPANDS PI-88 TRIAL TO INCLUDE PROSTATE CANCER

Australian cancer drug development company Progen Industries has announced the expansion of the Phase II clinical trial program of its lead anti-cancer product, PI-88, into prostate cancer. The first patients will begin treatment this week at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and the Sydney Hematology and Oncology Clinics. Other clinical centers around Australia will be added in the coming weeks.

This new Phase II trial, in which PI-88 will be combined with the chemotherapy agent Taxotere (docetaxel) from the global pharmaceutical company sanofi-aventis, will assess the efficacy and safety of PI-88 in 82 patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer (patients whose condition continues to worsen despite having received hormone therapy).

The goal of combining proven therapy (Taxotere) and experimental drugs such as PI-88 is to increase efficacy over Taxotere when used alone in this disease.