Safe to move forward vs. Hsp90

Based on recently reported Phase II data, Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. thinks it has the first Hsp90 inhibitor to have both meaningful cancer activity and a clean safety profile. It plans to start a Phase IIb/III trial of ganetespib for lung cancer next quarter.

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a molecular chaperone that helps fold, stabilize and activate various growth factors and kinases that promote tumor growth, survival and metastasis. Its central role in a wide variety of oncogenic processes has made it a popular target for small molecule drug developers...