Aphios
Corporation Selected by SAIC-Frederick to Develop Camposomes™
in Support of the National Cancer Institute’s Alliance
for Nanotechnology in Cancer
Woburn,
MA —
February
01, 2011
— Aphios® Corporation today announced that
it has entered into a subcontract with SAIC-Frederick, a
subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation,
to develop phospholipid nanoencapsulated camptothecin, Camposomes™,
for the treatment of pancreatic and other cancers, supporting
the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance
for Nanotechnology in Cancer in conjunction with the
Division
of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis is examining the potential
of nanotechnology to bring a wider range of chemotherapeutic
drugs into potential usefulness as anti-cancer agents. The
purpose of this subcontract is to evaluate the potential
of Aphios’ enabling nanotechnologies to improve the
bioavailability, solubility, pharmacokinetics, or therapeutic
index of a range of drugs that would otherwise fail as anti-cancer
agents.
Aphios has utilized its patented SuperFluids™ CFN
technologies to develop nanosomal formulations of paclitaxel
(Taxosomes™), camptothecin (Camposomes™) and
other poorly water-soluble therapeutics. Camptothecin is
an anticancer alkaloid that was originally isolated from
the bark and stem wood of Camptotheca acuminata,
a small tree native to China. This compound displays unprecedented
anticancer activities against leukemia, human colon cancer
and a variety of solid tumor systems. Camptothecin full
therapeutic activity has been limited by poor water solubility
and the aqueous instability of the lactone ring moiety.
Ring opening causes loss of biological activity of this
compound. Nanosome encapsulated camptothecin can serve as
a useful drug delivery system for solubilizing camptothecin,
while retaining both its lactone ring and antitumor activity.
With the NCI, we conducted in vivo testing of Camposomes™
in mice implanted with lymphoma xenografts and given intravenous
treatment. Several mice were found to be tumor-free (cured)
after 69 days with no drug-related deaths. Further research
will be carried out in this contract to examine formulation,
dilution, dosage and treatment schedule. We anticipate that,
with further research, Camposomes™ will improve the
efficacy, reduce the toxicity, and improve the solubility
and stability of this unique topoisomerase I inhibitor and
anticancer drug for pancreatic and other cancers.
Aphios® is a green biotechnology company developing
enabling technology platforms for improved drug discovery
and manufacturing, nanotechnology drug delivery and pathogenic
drug safety. Based on these platforms, we are developing
enhanced therapeutic products for health maintenance, disease
prevention and the treatment of certain cancers, infectious
diseases and Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders.
This project is 100% supported with federal funds provided
by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of
Health, under Contract No. HHSN261200800001E. The content
of this press release does not necessarily reflect the views
or policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or
organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.
###
