CALLISTO ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF DATA ON BRAIN TUMOR TREATMENT

Callisto Pharmaceuticals has announced the publication of data on a Degrasyn (STAT3 pathway inhibitor) drug candidate showing promise as a therapeutic agent to treat malignant gliomas. STAT3 pathway inhibitors are a new class of drugs that Callisto Pharmaceuticals licensed the rights to last year.

The report, published in Oncogene, describes studies with WP1066 on human malignant glioma cells and in a mouse model of human brain cancer. WP1066 administered to mice significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous malignant glioma xenografts during the 30-day follow-up period.

The study also demonstrated that STAT3, a key protein involved in tumor proliferation and survival, showed reduced phosphorylation in tumor tissue treated with WP1066. Phosphorylation of STAT3 is required for activation of the pathway leading to tumorogenesis and cancer-cell proliferation and survival. The study authors conclude that STAT3 pathway inhibitors such as WP1066 show potential as therapeutic agents against malignant gliomas, the most common primary cancer of the brain.

The anticancer activity of STAT3 pathway inhibitors relates to their ability to effectively inhibit Jak2/STAT3 pathway and subsequently tumor-cell proliferation and survival. This pathway is activated in a wide range of tumors, according to Callisto.