The annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held in Denver this year, brought two announcements of new data from Colorado-based companies.
Allos Therapeutics, Inc (Nasdaq:ALTH) announced new data demonstrating the anticancer activity of its investigational drug pralatrexate in a variety of solid tumors including colon, ovarian, lung, prostate, and head and neck cancer cell lines. Pralatrexate showed anti-cancer activity in nine of the fifteen cell lines tested with effect occurring after 24-72 hours of exposure. Pralatrexate, a novel anti-folate designed to accumulate in cancer cells, has been extensively tested in humans for hematologic malignancies most significantly in the PROPEL trial. This trial served as the basis for Allos, headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, to submit an NDA to the FDA near the end of March for the use of pralatrexate for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).
Array Biopharma, Inc (NASDAQ: ARRY) announced ARRY-614 demonstrated anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical in vivo models especially relevant to hematologic malignancies. Specifically, ARRY-614 demonstrated inhibition of p38 MAP kinase at well-tolerated doses both as a single agent and in combination with Revlimid (lenalidomide). In hematologic malignancies, p38 is a key regulator of cytokines which in turn regulate cell growth and survival. ARRY-614 was previously tested in a Phase 1 trial in healthy subjects where it was well-tolerated. Array Biopharma, based in Boulder, Colorado, currently has other products in Phase 2 trials for cancer and inflammatory and metabolic diseases.
