First patient dosed in phase 1 trial of Tanox's TNX-650 for Hodgkin's lymphoma

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, May 23 - Dosing has begun in the phase 1 clinical trial of TNX-650, a monoclonal antibody from Tanox, Inc. for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients who are refractory to chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

The non-randomized, multiple-dose, dose-escalation trial is being conducted at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston with additional patient enrollment expected later this year at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, according to a company news release.

Enrollment in the trial is expected to continue throughout 2006.

TNX-650 targets Interleukin 13, an important growth factor for malignant Hodgkin's lymphoma cells.

In preclinical testing, TNX-650 inhibited the function of IL-13 and blocked the proliferation of malignant cells, officials said.

The objective of the phase 1 trial is to determine the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of the agent as a monotherapy in patients who have relapsed or are refractory to standard chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy, and who have not responded to or are unable to undergo autologous bone marrow transplantation.

There are no approved drugs for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Tanox said it expects to file an Investigational New Drug application for TNX-650 in an inflammatory-disease indication later this year.

Hodgkin's lymphoma, also referred to as Hodgkin's disease, is a cancer of the lymph system.

Tanox is a Houston biotechnology company.

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