TORONTO, April 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lorus Therapeutics Inc. (TSX:LOR) ("Lorus"), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery, research and development of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of cancer, today announced the presentation of novel biomarker data for its lead cancer therapy LOR-253 at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), held in Washington, DC from April 6 – 10, 2013.
The poster presentation titled "Utilization of KLF4 as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for in vivo anticancer activity of a novel small molecule drug LOR-253" will be presented today in the Biomarkers of Drug Response session of the meeting. The abstract for the presentation (Abstract Number: 4649) is available online on the AACR website (http://www.aacr.org). The poster will be available on the Lorus website following the presentation (http://www.lorusthera.com).
The presentation covers data from preclinical studies on anticancer activity and tumor biomarker analysis for LOR-253 in animal models of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The studies show that LOR-253 has a significant antitumor activity with a dose-response effect in NSCLC that is associated with a dose dependent increase of the tumor suppressor Krüppel-like Factor 4 (KLF4). When tumors are analyzed at different time points following treatment with the same dosing schedule being used in the LOR-253 clinical study, KLF4 protein is significantly increased after eight doses of LOR-253, which corresponds to two treatment cycles in the clinical study.
"These data represent an important part of our biomarker strategy for LOR-253, which we believe will translate into the clinic when we examine KLF4 expression in tumor biopsies from patients in the biomarker study," said Dr. Aiping Young, Lorus' President and CEO. "Biomarkers for LOR-253 will be valuable for the interpretation of our clinical data and for optimization of dosing in patients. The findings provide strong evidence to support the use of KLF4 as a biomarker for LOR-253 anticancer activity, and we look forward to sharing these exciting results with the cancer research community at the AACR."
In January 2013, Lorus announced a biomarker clinical investigation focused on NSCLC and colon cancer to further explore the effects of the LOR-253 at relevant doses, and to evaluate KLF4 as a tumor biomarker in patient biopsies.
About LOR-253
LOR-253 represents a new class of anticancer agent, which we believe may offer a competitive advantage over conventional drugs. This drug candidate has shown selective and potent antitumor activity in preclinical investigations with a variety of human cancers, including colon cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, and has demonstrated an excellent therapeutic window due to its low toxicity. LOR-253 is a first-in-class small molecule that has been optimized to induce the novel tumor suppressor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), leading to cancer cell cycle arrest and apoptosis as well as inhibition of metastasis.
About Lorus
Lorus is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, research and development of novel therapeutics in cancer. Lorus' goal is to capitalize on its research, preclinical, clinical and regulatory expertise by developing new drug candidates that can be used, either alone, or in combination with other drugs, to successfully manage cancer. The Company also has expertise in antimicrobial drug discovery. Lorus Therapeutics Inc. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LOR.
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