Friday, May 30, 2008

TransMolecular starts Phase 1 trial of brain cancer drug

By Mass High Tech Staff

TransMolecular Inc. reports that it has begun a Phase 1 trial to test non-radiolabeled TM601 for the treatment of malignant glioma, the type of brain cancer recently identified as afflicting Sen. Edward Kennedy.

The Cambridge-based biotech will target adult patients with progressive or recurrent brain cancer who have failed initial standard therapy, to determine the safety, tolerability, dosing and pharmacokinetics of TM601. In other trials, the drug has been associated with radiation for various cancers, including malignant melanoma. The new trial is to determine TM601’s effectiveness without partnering it with radiation, officials said.

The study will be conducted at up to six clinical sites in the United States. TM601 is a synthetic compound derived from scorpion venom.

Founded in 1997, privately held TransMolecular moved to Cambridge from its original home in Birmingham, Ala., in 2005. The company received “orphan drug” status for TM601 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January.