VANCOUVER,
British Columbia and DOYLESTOWN, Pa., Aug. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS), an industry-leading
therapeutic solutions company focused on developing a cure for chronic
hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), today announced the initiation of
dosing in the 20 subject expansion cohort of the TKM-PLK1 hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC) Phase IIa clinical study. This study is designed to
evaluate TKM-PLK1's safety and efficacy in treating HCC patients.
"This is an important milestone for the company as we continue the
execution of our strategy to progress our HBV-related clinical
candidates," said Dr. Mark J. Murray, Arbutus' President and CEO. "HCC
is one of the most common cancers in the world, primarily caused by an
underlying chronic HBV infection. The goal of this study is to further
evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of TKM-PLK1 in treating HCC patients."
Trial Design
The ongoing Phase IIa TKM-PLK1 HCC clinical study is currently underway
in multiple sites in Canada, the United States and Asia. TKM-PLK1 is
administered weekly with each four-week cycle consisting of three
once-weekly doses followed by a rest week, and the efficacy will be
assessed in approximately 20 subjects. The HCC efficacy endpoint of the
study is tumor response rate.
About TKM-PLK1
TKM-PLK1 targets polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a protein involved in tumor
cell proliferation and a validated oncology target. Inhibition of PLK1
expression prevents the tumor cell from completing cell division,
resulting in cell cycle arrest and death of the cancer cell. We are
currently evaluating TKM-PLK1 in clinical trials with patients who have
gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (GI-NET), adrenocortical
carcinoma (ACC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
About Arbutus
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated
to discovering, developing and commercializing a cure for patients
suffering from chronic hepatitis B infection (HBV). Our strategy is to
target the three pillars necessary to develop a curative regimen for
HBV: suppressing HBV replication within liver cells, stimulating and
reactivating the body's immune system so that it can mount an effective
defense against the virus and, eliminating the reservoir of viral
genomic material known as covalently closed circular DNA, or cccDNA that
is the source of HBV persistence. Our portfolio of assets includes a
broad pipeline of drug candidates for use in combination to develop a
cure for HBV. To support continuous discovery of potential novel drug
candidates and technologies, Arbutus has a research collaboration
agreement with the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute that provides exclusive
rights to in-license any intellectual property generated through the
relationship. The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute was established in 2003
by the Hepatitis B Foundation.
Arbutus is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada with offices in Doylestown, PA, USA. For more information, visit www.arbutusbio.com.
Read complete press release hereLabels: Arbutus Pharma, clinical trials, HCC trials, TKM-PLK1