A UK-based pharmaceutical development company has announced that it expects to trial its Ruthenium-based cancer drugs this year.

Medical Marketing International (MMI) told Silicon Fen Business that two lead compounds have been made to commercial standards prior to completing the pivotal pre-clinical tests and submitting a clinical trial application.

These two compounds are currently undergoing final pre-clinical testing.

"We expect the first ruthenium-based drugs to enter clinical trials in 2006," said David Best, chairman of MMI.

"We now know from laboratory and pre-clinical tests that we have a series of potential new cancer drugs that are significantly more effective than Carboplatin and may be safer and less prone to resistance and allergy often associated with the platinum drugs," he added.

The company has already raised £10 million to fund a clinical trial programme, which will be partly directed at its ruthenium-based cancer therapies.

At the end of last year, MMI appointed Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals to deliver current good manufacturing practices of its lead ruthenium cancer therapy compounds.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd