Avalon Pharmaceuticals begins AVN944 phase 1 trial for cancer

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., Jan. 9 - Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. started a phase 1 clinical trial of its AVN94 for patients with advanced hematological malignancies. Current plans are to conduct this trial at five leading cancer centers in the United States.

The phase 1 open-label, repeat dose-escalation study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of AVN944. The study will determine the optimal dose with which to advance phase 2 efficacy trials. As many as 36 patients with hematological malignancies including leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma, could receive AVN944 at or near this optimal dose.

AVN944 appears to inhibit cell proliferation by denying dividing cells of the guanosine triphosphate they need for synthesis of DNA and RNA.

"The dosing of cancer patients in this first U.S. trial of AVN944 represents another milestone for Avalon Pharmaceuticals," said Kenneth C. Carter, Avalon's president and chief executive officer, in a news release. "We believe that AVN944 has the potential to offer oncologists and cancer patients improved options in several types of cancers where other therapies fail."

Avalon in-licensed AVN944 from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. Vertex held its own phase 1 trial in the United Kingdom where AVN944 was well-tolerated in human volunteers.

Avalon Pharmaceuticals, with headquarters in Germantown, Md., develops small molecule therapeutics.

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