BioCentury
ARTICLE | Targets & Mechanisms

Next-gen polyamine attack

April 9, 2009 7:00 AM UTC

The development of eflornithine monotherapy to treat cancer suffered a significant setback in 2004 when Ilex Oncology Inc., since acquired by Genzyme Corp., reported that the polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor failed to prevent recurrence of bladder cancer in a Phase III trial. Although polyamine metabolism is frequently dysregulated in cancer cells, eflornithine monotherapy was stymied by two issues: toxicity at high doses and the ability of cells to import polyamines from external sources and circumvent the action of polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors.

Aminex Therapeutics Inc.has developed a series of lipophilic...