SUZHOU, China, June 08, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Suzhou NeuPharma Co., Ltd. today announced that it has initiated the first-in-human Phase I clinical trial of RX108 in Australia. RX108 is a novel small-molecule inhibitor of sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+-ATPase).
The objectives of this Phase I study are to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profile of RX108 administered to patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors.
"We are excited to have commenced dosing in the first-in-human trial of RX108. This represents a significant milestone in our mission of discovering and developing novel therapeutics to meet the unmet medical needs of cancer patients," stated Shawn Qian, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer.
"Targeting Na+/K+-ATPase is a unique approach to develop anti-cancer therapies," commented Dr. Paul de Souza, Professor and Chair of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney. "We are very pleased to be conducting this study in partnership with NeuPharma, and we hope that RX108 will prove to be a useful, novel class of drug used to treat a range of different cancers."
About Na+/K+-ATPase in Cancer
Na+/K+-ATPase is an ion carrier protein and controls transportation of Na+ and K+ across the cell membrane. Studies have shown that Na+/K+-ATPase serves as a scaffold for the assembly of multiple-protein signaling complex and plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth, motility, and proliferation beyond that of ion transport. Expression of Na+/K+-ATPase is elevated in various tumors. Inhibition of Na+/K+-ATPase in cancer cells triggers a series of downstream signaling activities that lead to cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagic cell death. Targeting Na+/K+-ATPase offers a potential new approach for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies.
About NeuPharma
NeuPharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to research and development of innovative medicines for unmet medical needs. Through its proprietary drug discovery platform, NeuPharma is developing small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.