BETHESDA, Md., May 3, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AREVA Med announced that University of Alabama at Birmingham's (UAB) Cancer Center Network affiliates are now enrolling patients for the Phase I clinical trial for patients with intra-abdominal cancers.
Patients with cancers such as ovarian, pancreatic, colon, gastric, endometrial or breast, that have metastasized to the abdominal region can now enroll in AREVA Med's trial through UAB's affiliates and be treated at UAB. Participating affiliates include the following institutions:
| Medical Center of Central Georgia -- Macon, GA |
| Russell Medical Center -- Alexander City, AL |
| Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center -- Anniston, AL |
| Southeast Alabama Medical Center -- Dothan, AL |
| Gulf Coast Medical Center -- Panama City, FL |
"This trial relies on the latest developments in targeted therapies and only requires a single injection of the therapeutic agent. Success could significantly change treatment for abdominal cancer patients by focusing on a concentrated area to kill cancer cells without affecting nearby healthy cells. We are very happy to extend the enrollment opportunity to patients through our supporting affiliates," stated Ruby Meredith, M.D., Ph.D, Professor in the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology and Senior Scientist in the Experimental Therapeutics program at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and Principal Investigator at UAB.
AREVA Med is sponsoring a Phase I clinical trial of 212Pb-TCMC-Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody carrying a radioisotope. Radioimmunotherapy is a novel approach used to destroy cancer cells by combining the accuracy and specificity of a monoclonal antibody with a powerful radioisotope. The antibody transports and delivers lead-212 (212Pb), an isotope with a short range that focuses the dissipation of energy without affecting nearby healthy cells.
To better understand the trial, AREVA Med has launched a new website (www.TargetedTrials.com) dedicated to this Phase I clinical trial. This new website provides a comprehensive source of information regarding clinical trials, abdominal cancers, the 212Pb-TCMC-Trastuzumab therapy, and eligibility criteria for the Phase I study.
More about AREVA MED
AREVA Med is an AREVA subsidiary specializing in the development of innovative therapies to fight cancer. AREVA Med has developed new processes for producing high purity 212Pb, a rare radioactive isotope that is currently at the heart of promising nuclear medicine research to develop new treatments against some of the most aggressive forms cancer. AREVA Med is associated with world-class scientific partners, such as the National Cancer Institute, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). www.arevamed.com
The AREVA Med logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10890