BioNumerik Begins Trials With BNP7787

BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals has begun a Phase I trial of itschemotherapy-protecting drug BNP7787. Additional Phase I trials are due to commence later this month at a number of sites in the USA, Europe and Japan.

BNP7787 is designed to reduce the harmful side effects of cisplatin and carboplatin, which include nausea, vomiting, bone marrow damage and nephrotoxicity. It works to selectively inactivate the toxic forms of the drugs and at the same time increasing their antitumor effects.

Preclinical studies have shown that BNP7787 can protect against up to a 500% increase in the dose of cisplatin. Complete tumor remission increased from 13% in cisplatin-treated animals to 63% in animals pre-treated with BNP7787 prior to administration of the same dose of cisplatin.