MedImmune initiates Vitaxin Ph I/II trial

MedImmune has initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial of the antibodyVitaxin as a treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Vitaxin has the potential to inhibit angiogenesis by binding to the AvB3 antigen, which is expressed on a variety of cells that are involved in the inflammatory response in a number of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, restenosis and cancer.

The Phase I trial is a dose-escalation study, whilst the Phase II study will evaluate the antitumor activity of Vitaxin. These studies follow on from an initial pharmacokinetic trial, which began earlier this year, in which Vitaxin was administered intravenously at up to six dose levels in patients with refractory solid tumors.