Lisofylline In Ph III By 2nd Qtr 1995, Says CTI

Cell Therapeutics Inc should be in a position to start Phase III trials of its lead product, lisofylline, by the second quarter of 1995, according to its president and chief executive, James Bianco. This product is the first in a series of novel compounds which, if early promise is fulfilled, have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of cancer, immune disorders and inflammatory disease.

Development of lisofylline to date is in itself quite an achievement. CTI was formed just two years ago, and took its first compound from discovery to clinical development in just 12 months, a process which usually takes around four years. CTI's core technology is based on the discovery that a unique pool of membrane phospholipids termed phosphatidic acid (PA) may form a novel second messenger pathway in cells which is linked to signalling of injury-related cytokines.

The most exciting aspect of this discovery is that the new pathway, named the Bursten pathway after its discoverer Stewart Bursten (who is a cofounder of the company), does not appear to be coupled to well-characterized signalling pathways involved in normal homeostatic cellular function. Therefore, drugs which target PA should provide therapies for diseases without affecting normal cellular function, and so have limited toxicity.