LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical research and development company specializing in oncology, today highlighted that aldoxorubicin licensee NantCell, Inc., a private subsidiary of NantWorks, LLC, has dosed the first patient in the Phase 1b portion of a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial for patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of either the head and neck or non-small cell lung cancer. This is the second trial conducted by NantCell which will investigate high-affinity natural killer (haNK) cell therapy in combination with anti-cancer agents, including aldoxorubicin, in certain high unmet need cancer indications. The first trial in pancreatic cancer patients commenced in January 2018.
"This is the second clinical trial initiated this year by NantCell to include aldoxorubicin, and we are extremely pleased with their clinical progress to date," said Steven A. Kriegsman, CytRx's Chairman and CEO. "We look forward to further positive developments as NantCell continues to advance aldoxorubicin in combination with immuno-oncology agents and cell-based therapies. In parallel, the CytRx team is focused on advancing our novel LADR™ drug candidates where we remain on track to nominate one or more new candidates for clinical development by the end of this quarter."
The trial titled "QUILT-3.090: Molecularly Informed Integrated Immunotherapy in Subjects With SCC Who Have Progressed on or After Platinum-based Chemotherapy and Anti-programmed Cell Death Protein 1 (PD-1)/Programed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Therapy," (NCT03387111) is a single-center, open-label, Phase 1b/2 clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of several combination therapies, including combinations with aldoxorubicin, in subjects with SCC who have progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy. This trial is expected to enroll approximately 65 patients. The primary endpoint for the Phase 1b portion of the trial is safety and the primary endpoint for the Phase 2 portion of the trial is objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST.
About CytRx Corporation
CytRx Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in research and clinical development of novel anti-cancer drug candidates that employ linker technologies to enhance the accumulation and release of drug at the tumor. CytRx is also rapidly expanding its pipeline of ultra-high potency oncology candidates at its laboratory facilities in Freiburg, Germany, through its LADR™ (Linker Activated Drug Release) technology platform, a discovery engine designed to leverage CytRx's expertise in albumin biology and linker technology for the development of a new class of potential breakthrough anti-cancer therapies. Aldoxorubicin, CytRx's most advanced drug conjugate, is an improved version of the widely used anti-cancer drug doxorubicin and has been out-licensed to NantCell, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties relating to plans for regaining compliance with the Nasdaq rules and higher share price of our common stock; the ability of NantCell, Inc., to obtain regulatory approval for its products that use aldoxorubicin; the ability of NantCell, Inc., to manufacture and commercialize products or therapies that use aldoxorubicin; the amount, if any, of future milestone and royalty payments that we may receive from NantCell, Inc.; our ability to develop new ultra-high potency drug candidates based on our LADRTM technology platform; and other risks and uncertainties described in the most recent annual and quarterly reports filed by CytRx with the Securities and Exchange Commission and current reports filed since the date of CytRx's most recent annual report. All forward-looking statements are based upon information available to CytRx on the date the statements are first published. CytRx undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Relations Contact:
Argot Partners
Michelle Carroll
(212) 600-1902
michelle@argotpartners.com
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SOURCE CytRx Corporation