Antisoma Telomere Targeting Agent Stops Tumour Growth In Prostate Cancer Model


LONDON, Nov. 4, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Cancer drug developer Antisoma today presents new data showing that one of its telomere targeting agents (TTAs) rapidly blocks prostate tumour growth in a human xenograft model. While in untreated control animals tumours grew to lethal size within 10 days, animals given the TTA experienced a halt in tumour growth at around day 7 and survived to the experiment's end on day 25. These findings extend the range of cancers shown to be susceptible to Antisoma's TTAs and demonstrate that the drugs have profound effects on tumour growth even when used as a sole treatment.

The presentation will be given by Antisoma's Head of Research, Professor Lloyd Kelland, at the AACR Special Conference on The Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer in San Francisco. It comes as the Company, working with the Cancer Research UK Group led by Professor Stephen Neidle at the London School of Pharmacy, nears completion of work to select a lead candidate from the TTA programme for clinical trials.

Professor Kelland commented "What's really exciting about these TTAs is the speed of their anti-tumour effects. We're not having to wait for many rounds of cell division before the effects kick in, which was a major concern with earlier drugs that were pure telomerase inhibitors."

Except for the historical information presented, certain matters discussed in this statement are forward looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties may be associated with product discovery and development, including statements regarding the company's clinical development programmes, the expected timing of clinical trials and regulatory filings. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially.

Notes for Editors:

About telomere targeting agents (TTAs)

Antisoma has three drugs in clinical trials and three priority preclinical projects, one of which is the TTA programme. The TTAs under development at Antisoma were invented by Professor Stephen Neidle at the Institute of Cancer Research and the London School of Pharmacy. They were licensed by Antisoma through Cancer Research Technology, which is part of Cancer Research UK.

Telomeres are protective regions found at the ends of chromosomes (the structures into which DNA is packaged in each cell of the body). In normal cells, they shorten slightly with each round of cell division until they become critically short, causing the cell to enter the self-destruct programme of apoptosis. Most cancer cells make the enzyme telomerase, which maintains the length of telomeres and allows the cells to avoid apoptosis. A number of drugs have been developed that inhibit telomerase. These are generally characterised by a slow onset of action because they require rounds of cell division to 'run down' the telomeres to the point where apoptosis ensues. TTAs by contrast act more rapidly, binding to the telomere itself and destabilising it. One clear effect is the uncapping of chromosome ends leading to lethal end-to-end chromosome fusions. The action of TTAs is believed to involve prevention of telomerase binding to the telomere. However, it must have other facets because the drugs show broad effectiveness against cancer cell lines, including the minority that use alternative, non-telomerase mechanisms to maintain their telomeres.

About Antisoma

Based in London, UK, Antisoma is a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel products for the treatment of cancer. The Company fills its development pipeline by acquiring promising new product candidates from internationally recognised academic or cancer research institutions. Its core activity is the preclinical and clinical development of these drug candidates. Antisoma forms partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to bring its products to market. In November 2002, Antisoma formed a broad strategic alliance with Roche to develop and commercialise products from Antisoma's pipeline. Please visit www.antisoma.com for further information about Antisoma.



            

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