Human Genome Sciences commences patient dosing in its HGS1029 inhibitor trial

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) and Aegera Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that HGS has initiated dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of its lead IAP inhibitor, HGS1029, as monotherapy in patients with advanced lymphoid tumors.

“We are pleased to initiate this first human study of HGS1029 in lymphoid malignancies, and we look forward to continuing the study of our IAP inhibitors both alone and in combination with other anti-cancer agents, including mapatumumab, our agonistic antibody to TRAIL receptor 1,” said Gilles Gallant, B. Pharm., Ph.D., Vice President, Clinical Research - Oncology, HGS. An additional Phase 1 clinical trial is currently ongoing to evaluate the safety and tolerability of HGS1029 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

“Our collaboration with Human Genome Sciences is progressing very well,” said Michael J. Berendt, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Aegera Therapeutics. “We continue to believe that the combination of our extensive knowledge of the control of apoptotic pathways with HGS’s deep understanding of the development of targeted therapeutics will speed the development of HGS1029 and follow-on compounds for multiple oncology indications.”

HGS acquired exclusive worldwide rights (excluding Japan) to develop and commercialize HGS1029 and other IAP inhibitors from Aegera Therapeutics, Inc. in December 2007. When inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins (IAP’s) are over-expressed in cancer cells, they may help cancer cells resist apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and resume growth. The IAP inhibitors developed by Aegera, including HGS1029, are members of a new class of designed small-molecule drugs that block the biological activity of IAP’s, thus allowing apoptosis to proceed and causing the cancer cells to die. Preclinical studies have shown that HGS1029 has significant anti-tumor activity alone and in combination with other anti-cancer agents, including the HGS TRAIL receptor antibodies, against a number of cancer types.