Point Therapeutics, National Cancer Institute to study talabostat in pediatric cancer

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., Feb. 14 - Point Therapeutics, Inc. announced a collaboration with the National Cancer Institute to evaluate Point's oral anti-tumor drug candidate, talabostat, in combination with chemotherapy in pediatric patients with solid tumors.

Talabostat inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase family of serine proteases, including fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which is primarily expressed in the stroma of tumors and sarcoma tumor cells. Point believes that the inhibition of FAP can help suppress tumor growth.

Point said the primary objectives of the phase 1 study are to evaluate the safety and dosing of talabostat in combination with chemotherapy in the pediatric population.

This first clinical collaboration between Point and the National Cancer Institute was based on positive preclinical data in a sarcoma cell line. Sarcomas are cancerous tumors of the bone or soft tissues and comprise about 7% of all cancers in children age 20 years or younger, the company said.

While no patients have been enrolled in the study to date, Point expects many of the patients who enroll will have sarcomas.

Antitumor effects have been observed in previous and ongoing clinical trials of talabostat in adult patients, particularly when talabostat was given in combination with chemotherapy or monoclonal antibodies.

Currently, Talabostat is being studied in two phase 3 studies in adult patients who have advanced non-small cell lung cancer and in several phase 2 studies of various tumor types.

"This collaboration is of great interest to us because it represents our first study in a pediatric population. In addition, there is a clear unmet clinical need since these patients have exhausted other treatment options," Point president and chief executive officer Don Kiepert said in the release.

"It also provides us greater insight in determining the efficacy of talabostat in additional patient populations and disease states."

Point is a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors for use in cancer, type 2 diabetes and as vaccine adjuvants.

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