Lytix Biopharma AS receives approval to commence Phase I clinical trials of Oncopore

The Norwegian pharmaceutical company Lytix Biopharma AS today announced approvals from the Norwegian Medicines Agency (”Statens legemiddelverk”) and the Swedish Medical Products Agency (”Läkemedelverket”) to commence Phase I clinical trials of Oncopore^TM (LTX-315) for the treatment of cancer.

According to Lytix Biopharma CEO Gunnar Sælid, “We are delighted to announce the regulatory approval by the Norwegian and Swedish Authorities to test our very interesting experimental drug Oncopore^TM (LTX-315) in the clinic. I am extremely pleased with the efforts put in by our Drug Development teams this year, with all projects progressing well according to our plans. For the Company this is an important study, validating the attractiveness of our platform in oncology. We will now have two programs in clinical trials; on the one hand our topical antimicrobial drug, and now our novel treatment for cancer”.

In preclinical models LTX-315 has demonstrated the ability to effect necrotic killing of cancer cells. Simulatenously it also causes the release of danger signals from the stressed and dying cells that trigger a beneficial activation of the immune system.

”The study will start in the beginning of 2010 and will be run at two centers, The Norwegian Radium Hospital – National Hospital in Oslo, as well as the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Initially, the Phase I study will establish a safe and tolerated dose of LTX-315 when given to solid tumours amenable to injection. Oncopore^TM (LTX-315) has the potential to becoming a valuable new agent for the treatment of cancer”, says Jon Amund Eriksen, Director of Product Development, Oncology at Lytix Biopharma AS. The clinical trial is supported by grants from The Norwegian Cancer Association (“Kreftforeningen”), The Norwegian Research Council (“Forskningsrådet”) and Innovation Norway (“Innovasjon Norge”).