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Sunesis starts phase 2 clinical trial of SNS-595 in small cell lung cancer
By Lisa Kerner
Erie, Pa., March 20 - Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said it started patient treatment in a phase 2 clinical trial of SNS-595, the company's lead anticancer therapeutic, in lung cancer.
The trial is an open-label, multi-center study designed to examine the safety and efficacy of SNS-595 as a second-line agent in patients with small cell lung cancer who have failed first-line therapy, according to a company news release.
SNS-595, a cell-cycle modulator, kills proliferating cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, or programmed cell death, during the S phase of the cell cycle, the release stated.
A total of 80 patients - 40 refractory and 40 sensitive - will be enrolled at multiple centers in the United States and Canada. Patients will receive SNS-595 every three weeks.
"Sunesis continues to demonstrate rapid progress in the advancement of multiple oncology products through development," president and chief executive officer Daniel N. Swisher said in the release.
"This phase 2 study in small cell lung cancer - our second phase 2 trial for SNS-595 - is the fourth clinical trial we have initiated since last fall."
Small cell lung cancer makes up approximately 16% of lung cancers, and commonly relapses within months of treatment, officials said. This form of lung cancer tends to spread widely through the body as cells multiply quickly, forming large tumors and spreading to the lymph nodes and other organs.
Sunesis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel small molecule therapeutics for oncology and other serious diseases. The company is based in South San Francisco.
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