Pieris commences PRS-050 anti-VEGF Anticalin Phase I clinical trial for cancer

Pieris AG announced today the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial in cancer patients for its lead program, PRS-050, an anti-VEGF Anticalin. The trial is an open-label, dose-escalating evaluation of the compound's safety and tolerability in patients with solid tumors. Conducted at three sites in Germany, the trial is underway and patients from the first cohort have been dosed.

"Meeting our goal of initiating this trial in the first half of 2010 demonstrates Pieris' commitment to establishing the safety and the therapeutic relevance of the Anticalin drug class," stated Stephen Yoder, CEO of Pieris. "Further, the high potency observed in preclinical studies, together with the small size and the lack of an antibody Fc domain, show promise of an attractive combined efficacy and safety profile for PRS-050."

The trial is designed to test PRS-050 in approximately 40 patients, who will receive the compound and then be monitored for safety and tolerability. The patients recruited for the trial are cancer patients with advanced, recurrent or metastatic solid tumors, refractory to standard therapy.

PRS-050 is an anti-VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) Anticalin discovered and developed internally at the company from Pieris' proprietary Anticalin libraries. PRS-050's mechanism of action is based on its ability to bind the VEGF ligand, thereby inhibiting tumor growth. VEGF's role in cancer angiogenesis, the mechanism by which cancer tumors increase blood vessel development to deliver key nutrients and oxygen is well established, both scientifically and clinically.

SOURCE Pieris AG