Geron reports strong animal data on GRN163L

US drugmaker Geron Corp has published preclinical data that show how specific structural elements of GRN163L contribute to its unique anti-tumor and anti-metastatic activity. Appearing in the February edition of Cancer Research, the study demonstrates that the agent induces altered tumor cell adhesion in animal models of lung cancer and that it may have additional benefit in the prevention of metastasis.

Alan Colowick, president of the firm's oncology division, said that, "based on these and other data, Geron intends to initiate a clinical trial this year in patients with lung cancer to determine if these results translate into clinically-important antitumor activity."

Previous studies demonstrated that GRN163L reduces the tumorigenic potential of a human lung cancer cell line (A549-luc) both in vitro and in vivo and that the cells were morphologically and functionally altered in vitro by the compound. Furthermore, GRN163L exposure for one to five weeks reduced colony formation and other signs of malignant transformation, while cells treated with a mismatched control drug were unaffected.