Conference call Thurs.... Phase 11 starting!Regards, DH
Adherex to Hold Conference Call to Update Clinical Programs
2/15/05
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA, Feb 15, 2005 (CCNMatthews via COMTEX) --
Adherex Technologies Inc. (AMEX:ADH)(TSX:AHX), a biopharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of oncology products under development, today announced that it will hold an investor conference call on Thursday, February 17, 2005, at 2 p.m. EST.
Dr. William Peters, Chairman and CEO of Adherex, will updateinvestors on the Company's clinical programs as follows:- Status of the clinical development of ADH-1 (Exherin(TM)), including: - An update on the Phase I trial at both the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. To date, 56 cycles of ADH-1 have been administered to 40 patients, and the drug has been generally well tolerated at doses of up to 840 mg/m2. Further, two patients with continuing evidence of anti- tumor activity have continued to receive drug for four to eight months. The last dose escalation group for this study is currently enrolling. - Plans to accelerate the drug's development as a single agent, based on the level of anti-tumor activity seen in Phase I, will include both Phase Ib/II and Phase II trials in North America and Europe. - An update on the European Phase Ib/II trial, where enrollment is already underway using a denser drug administration schedule of weekly dosing. - Advances in our understanding of ADH-1's mechanism of action. The Company now believes that ADH-1 may have two modes of anti- tumor activity - targeting both the cells of the tumor vessels as well as the tumor cells themselves.- Status of the clinical development of sodium thiosulfate (STS) forprotection against hearing loss in children receiving platinum-basedchemotherapy.Specific goals for 2005 include:- Conclusion of the Ottawa and MD Anderson Phase I trial of ADH-1 in March 2005. The Company expects to enroll only one more cohort of N-cadherin positive patients. Due to the anti-tumor activity seen in the Phase I setting, we plan to initiate a Phase II study in Canada using ADH-1 as a single agent in multiple N-cadherin positive tumor types with an every three-week dosing schedule.- Initiation of a second Phase Ib/II trial of ADH-1 with a daily x 5 (Monday through Friday) schedule in North America. Both the European Phase Ib/II trial, which is investigating weekly dosing, and the North American study will include dynamic MRI scanning to assess the timing, magnitude and effect of the drug on tumor vasculature.- Initiation of a Phase II program for ADH-1. The first Phase II study, described above, is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2005. In total, the Company expects to enroll approximately 200 or more patients with N-cadherin positive tumors in its Phase II program. The objectives of these studies are to identify the tumor types most appropriate for future Phase III trials and to estimate the response frequency.- Initiation of a randomized, controlled study of STS as a protectant against hearing loss in children receiving platinum-based chemotherapy in conjunction with the Children's Oncology Group in the US.- Presentation of new pre-clinical data on ADH-1 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference in April 2005.Details of the call are as follows:- Date/Time: February 17, 2005; 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time- Live Call In Number: - +1 (800) 946-0706 (Canada and US) - +1 (719) 457-2638 (International)- Conference ID: 7041986- Webcast: www.adherex.com- Replay Number: - +1 (888) 203-1112 (Canada and US) - +1 (719) 457-0820 (International)- Replay Conference ID: 7041986- The replay will be available by telephone until February 22, 2005at midnight or on the Adherex website (www.adherex.com) untilFebruary 14, 2006.