Bionomics BNC105 cancer clinical trials reach key milestones

04-08-2011: Bionomics Limited provided an update on the status of ongoing clinical trials of BNC105, its proprietary vascular disrupting agent (VDA) for the treatment of solid tumours.   

The clinical development of BNC105 has undertaken a two-pronged approach involving the use of BNC105 either, in combination with other established methods of cancer treatment, or as a monotherapy.  

The key objective of this approach is to consolidate the safety profile, obtain early evidence of efficacy and delineate the development path.

The first approach is evident in the clinical trial which is in progress in renal cell carcinoma where BNC105 is combined with the targeted therapy Afinitor. This approach is also seen in the planned clinical trial of BNC105 in women with ovarian cancer. The ovarian cancer trial will combine the use of BNC105 with cisplatin and gemcitabine. The second approach, evaluation as a monotherapy or single agent, was adopted in the mesothelioma trial.

Bionomics' CEO and Managing Director Dr Deborah Rathjen commented, “In our clinical development strategy for BNC105, Bionomics has tried to learn as much as possible about the effects of BNC105 in cancer patients in the most efficient way. Our two pronged strategy has helped enormously in this regard. The mesothelioma trial in particular has enabled the Company to quickly establish the safety and tolerability of BNC105 in a large patient group with one patient having a sustained, durable anti-tumour response to BNC105 and at least five other patients showing stable disease”.

“The current renal cancer trial combines BNC105 with a drug which has broader application in the treatment of different cancer types beyond renal. It is pleasing that BNC105 in combination with Afinitor is safe and well tolerated with individual patients receiving at least 12 cycles of treatment.”   

“Our strategy has successfully defined the future development path for BNC105 in combination with established chemotherapy regimens and provided signals of efficacy.”