A US chemicals company has developed platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, which it claims can kill tumours that have proved resistant to currently available platinum agents.

Trials with the drug on animal models of ovarian cancer and colon cancers showed that the two novel bis-platinum complexes were significantly more potent than the most commonly used platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, carboplatin, cisplatin and oxaliplatin, manufacturers Cell Theraputics claims.

The drugs are also claimed to have proved more effective in the treatment of tumours with acquired or intrinsic resistance to cisplatin or carboplatin - a development the firm says represents the first time this class of binuclear platinum-based drugs have shown activity in these tumour types.

Prior attempts to develop tri-nuclear drug candidates with platinum content yielded disappointing results in human trials, due to extensive protein binding and de-platination in the bloodstream.

However, Cell Theraputics hopes that these will prove more effective since they incorporate butyrate or carboxylate moieties to improve their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles.

This, the firm claims, overcomes the limitations of previously synthesised multinuclear-based compounds.

Cell Theraputics presented findings from pre-clinical trials of the drugs at the 19th annual AACR-NCI-EORTC Symposium show.

Jack W Singer, Chief Medical Officer of CTI, said: "These bis-platinates, unlike the currently approved platinum compounds, contain two platinum atoms and work by binding to and damaging both strands of DNA making it much more difficult for cancer cells to repair the damage.

"These agents could represent a significant advance in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers."

Source:

First New Class of Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Drug Candidates in 30 Years Demonstrate Ability to Kill Tumors Resistant to Currently Marketed Platinum Drugs
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQW04024102007-1.htm

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