Alfacell Corporation Initiates Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Phase I/II Trial
Alfacell Corporation, pioneer in the research, development and commercialization of ribonucleases for the treatment of cancer and other therapeutic applications, announced that it has initiated a multi-center, open label, Phase I/II trial to evaluate ONCONASE® (ranpirnase) in patients with refractory Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
"This new study is designed to assess the therapeutic potential of ONCONASE® in a population that has shown a resistance to other treatments, and to evaluate a new schedule of administration," stated Kuslima Shogen, Chief Executive Officer of Alfacell Corporation. "The results obtained from Part 1 of this trial will be used to expand our clinical program in the initiation of Phase II trials in esophageal and refractory breast cancers." According to industry analysts, the market for NSCLC drugs is projected to exceed $4 billion by 2012, in light of the fact that approximately one million new cases of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer are diagnosed annually.
Despite years of research, the prognosis for individuals with lung cancer remains dismal, with a five-year survival rate of less than 15%. Although chemotherapy is the backbone of treatment for metastatic disease, response rates are low, and survival times are poor. Since initial therapy will fail with virtually all individuals with advanced disease, second-line therapy is often necessary.
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