Ph II trial of belinostat and Velcade initiated

US firm CuraGen Corp and Denmark's TopoTarget A/S have initiated patient dosing in a Phase II open-label, multicenter clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of intravenous belinostat (PXD101), a small-molecule histone deacetylase inhibitor, in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) for injection, in multiple myeloma patients refractory to or who have rapidly relapsed from at least one previous bortezomib-containing regimen.

Based on preliminary safety results from ongoing Phase Ib trials evaluating belinostat in combination with bortezomib, CuraGen and TopoTarget have initiated this Phase II study in multiple myeloma patients. The Phase II clinical trial is being led by James Berenson, principal investigator, medical and scientific director at the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, and will be conducted at multiple sites across the USA. Up to 35 patients are planned for study enrollment with preliminary results anticipated by the end of the year.