Senesco reports on the progress of SNS01-T Phase 1b/2a study for multiple myeloma

Senesco Technologies, Inc. ("Senesco" or the "Company") (NYSE MKT: SNT) reported today on the progress of its Phase 1b/2a study for the treatment of multiple myeloma, which is the subject of a poster presented today at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.    

To date five patients have been enrolled into the study. So far one patient has completed the 6 week dosing schedule. This patient's disease was considered stable, no disease progression, based on key disease markers including monoclonal protein when evaluated at the end of weeks 3 and 6. Two patients were withdrawn from the study due to disease progression, and two patients are currently being treated. No disease limiting toxicities have been recorded to date.

"We are encouraged that there is an indication that SNS01-T is performing as designed even at this low dose," stated Harlan Waksal, M.D., Chairman of Senesco. "At this dose level we had expected to evaluate only safety. So seeing an indication of activity, even in a single patient, is a bonus."

In the study, patients are dosed twice-weekly for 6 weeks followed by an observation period. The first group of patients receives 0.0125 mg/kg by intravenous infusion. At the end of 6 weeks of dosing, safety data for the group will be reviewed before the subsequent group receives a higher dosage. The escalated doses administered to the second to fourth groups will be 0.05, 0.2 and 0.375 mg/kg, respectively.

"We are pleased that the SNS01-T study is progressing well. Provided there are no more withdrawals we expect to complete the first dosing group during the last week of June," stated Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Senesco. "Although we experienced an initial delay in patient enrollment, we believe that the rate of recruitment into the study is back on plan."

The study is an open-label, multiple-dose, dose-escalation study, which will evaluate the safety and tolerability of SNS01-T when administered by intravenous infusion to approximately 15 relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients. While the primary objective of this study is to evaluate safety and tolerability, the effect of SNS01-T on tumor response and time to relapse or progression will be assessed using multiple well-established metrics including measurement of monoclonal protein.