SAN DIEGO, Sept. 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRACON Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that develops targeted therapies for oncology and ophthalmology, today announced the initiation of dosing in a clinical trial evaluating the combination of TRC105 and axitinib (Inlyta®, Pfizer), a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), to treat patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. TRC105, a novel monoclonal antibody to endoglin (CD105), is being studied in multiple clinical trials in combination with agents that target the VEGF pathway.
"Renal cell carcinoma is an angiogenesis driven tumor and despite multiple products approved to treat the disease, resistance to treatment remains a serious challenge," said Charles Theuer, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of TRACON. "Combining TRC105 with axitinib in this study builds upon our clinical experience in combining TRC105 with bevacizumab (Avastin®, Genentech/Roche), presented at ASCO in June, where data was presented indicating that the combination of TRC105 and anti-VEGF treatment was well-tolerated and shrank tumors in patients who failed prior treatment with VEGF inhibitors. This study is part of a broad development program for TRC105 that includes two ongoing randomized Phase 2b studies with Avastin® and a trial in combination with VEGF TKI treatment in sarcoma."
The clinical trial is a multicenter, open-label, nonrandomized, Phase 1b, dose-finding study of TRC105 in combination with standard dose axitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. For additional information on this clinical trial, please visit the clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01806064.
About TRC105
TRC105 is a novel, first-in-class, clinical stage antibody to endoglin (CD105), an endothelial cell receptor that is essential for the process of new blood vessel formation called angiogenesis. TRC105 is currently being studied in multiple clinical trials in cancer patients, sponsored by both TRACON and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) and is expected to complement VEGF inhibitor therapies (including Avastin®). TRC105 is also expected to complement VEGF inhibitor treatments (e.g., Eylea® and Lucentis®) in age-related macular degeneration. For more information about the clinical trials, please visit TRACON's website at http://www.traconpharma.com/clinical_trials.php.
About TRACON
TRACON Pharmaceuticals develops targeted therapies for people with cancer and age-related macular degeneration. The current pipeline includes two clinical-stage product candidates, each addressing a unique cellular process, that are expected to complement currently available therapies. TRACON aims to develop effective and well-tolerated treatments for underserved populations with the ultimate goal of enhancing survival and quality of life. To learn more about the company and its products, visit TRACON's website at www.traconpharma.com.