OT Another Bottom CallCuragen, NASDAQ symbol CRGN, 59MM O/S, @150MM cash, Per Zacks Analyst “CuraGen, ... has multiple drug candidates in phase I and phase II clinical developments for cancer and cancer supportive care. Our target price for CRGN is $6.00. Both Lexicon and CuraGen are undervalued, in our view, and should provide upside potential for patient investors in the long run if the company can successfully execute their growth strategies.”
3 drugs in phase II, just about at a TD Sequential buy signal. Check the chart.
This follwing data is extraordinary. It'll make both Curagen and Seattle Genetics a fortune if concurrent Phase I/II trials are similar at Yale and MD Anderson...
Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2007 Jun 1; [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links
Treatment parameters modulating regression of human melanoma xenografts by an antibody-drug conjugate (CR011-vcMMAE) targeting GPNMB.
Pollack VA, Alvarez E, Tse KF, Torgov MY, Xie S, Shenoy SG, Macdougall JR, Arrol S, Zhong H, Gerwien RW, Hahne WF, Senter PD, Jeffers ME, Lichenstein HS, Larochelle WJ.
Department of Preclinical Development, CuraGen Corporation, 322 E. Main St, Branford, CT, 06405, USA, vpollack@curagen.com.
PURPOSE: To investigate the pharmacological properties of the CR011-vcMMAE fully human antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), such as dose titrations, quantitation of the time (days) to complete regression, pharmacokinetics, and schedule dependency. Our prior study characterized a fully human antibody to GPNMB covalently linked to monomethylauristatin E, CR011-vcMMAE, and further demonstrated cell surface staining of melanoma lines susceptible to the immunoconjugate's cytotoxicity (Clin Cancer Res 2005; 12(4): 1373-1382). METHODS: The human SK-MEL-2 and SK-MEL-5 melanoma xenografts were used in athymic mice to assess anti-tumor efficacy. After s.c. implantation, tumors became established (60-100 mg), and treatment commenced by i.v. injection of the immunoconjugate or vinblastine or paclitaxel. Short-term anti-tumor effects (inhibition of tumor growth) and long-term effects (complete regression) were observed. RESULTS: CR011-vcMMAE induced regression of established human SK-MEL-2 and SK-MEL-5 xenografts at doses from 1.25 to 80 mg/kg treatment when administered intravenously every 4 days (4 treatments); strikingly, regressions were not associated with re-growth during the observation period (200 days). The disappearance rate of implants was dose dependent (minimum time, 18.5 days). Detectable serum CR011-vcMMAE >/=1 mug/mL ( approximately 0.01 muM) was observed for >30 days post-dose; CR011-vcMMAE showed an elimination half-life of 10.3 days. A low volume of distribution suggested that CR011-vcMMAE was confined to blood and interstitial fluid. CR011-vcMMAE could be delivered by either a single bolus dose or by intermittent dosing (i.e., every 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 days) with no discernible differences in the proportion of tumor-free survivors, indicating a lack of schedule dependency. The antibody-drug conjugate produced complete regressions, but the equivalent doses of free monomethylauristatin E or unconjugated antibody did not show anti-tumor effects. In addition, decreases in plasma tumor-derived human interleukin-8 coincided with tumor nodule disappearance. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term anti-tumor effects and long-term effects (complete regression) were observed with CR011-vcMMAE, but not with the reference agents. These results suggest that CR011-vcMMAE may provide therapeutic benefit in malignant melanoma. “
Two recent presentations available at its website www.curagen.com.