Fiscal Year:
2001
Title:
Arginine deiminase as an Anti-Cancer Therapy
Agency:
HHS
Contract:
N/A
Award Amount:
$0.00
Abstract:
DESCRIPTION: The distinctive arginine requirement of hepatocellular carcinomas
and malignant melanomas provides the basis for a new potential chemotherapy.
Just as acute lymphocytic leukemia cells require asparagine and E. coli
asparaginase enzyme can be used to effect a cure for this disease, we propose
using a mycoplasma derived arginine deiminase (ADI) to treat hepatocellular
carcinoma and malignant melanomas. As a result of Phase I funding we have
discovered a method where by ADI can be formulated with polyethylene glycol
(PEG) such that it has a much longer circulating half-life in mice and is less
immunogenic. When ADI formulated with PEG is injected into mice it selectively
reduces the plasma levels of arginine and starves human melanomas and
hepatocellular carcinomas implanted into these animals. This treatment is also
being tested in dogs with spontaneous melanoma (under an INAD received from the
FDA) and is quickly being proven to be an effective means of treating
spontaneous melanoma with very few, if any, side effects. We have requested and
received an Orphan Drug Designation for this project and in a Pre-IND meeting
with the FDA and the Orphan drug Office, delineated the experiments needed to
file a Phase I IND to permit human testing of this drug. The studies proposed
in this grant reflect the FDA requirements and when completed will allow for
the testing of ADI formulated with PEG in humans. The studies proposed include
the validation of the process used to make (under GMP conditions) 3 lots of
ADI-PEG, characterize these lots with validated procedures, obtain
pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data that will allow allometric modeling of
the predicted human dosing and perform the necessary immunological and
toxicological testing needed for this project to progress into human clinical
testing.
PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE
Principal Investigator:
Mike A. Clark
Small Business Information at Submission:
PHOENIX PHARMACOLOGICS
ASTECC FACILITY #A-217 UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY LEXINGTON, KY 40506
EIN/Tax ID:
232927291
DUNS:
N/A
Number of Employees:
N/A
Woman-Owned:
No
Minority-Owned:
No
HUBZone-Owned:
No