Phase I/IIa Results With Ligand's LGD1069

Ligand Pharmaceutical's oral retinoid drug LGD1069 is well-tolerated and has shown some antitumor activity in a Phase I/IIa trial presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncologists last week. The dose-escalation study was conducted in patients with various advanced cancers, including non-small cell lung carcinoma, cutaneous T cell lymphoma, head and neck carcinoma and salivary gland carcinoma.

The investigators, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, concluded that LGD1069 did not have characteristic retinoid toxicities, and unlike all-trans-retinoic acid may not adversely affect total serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Antitumor effects were seen in patients with T cell lymphoma, while disease stabilization was observed in NSCLC and salivary gland cancer patients.

Other Phase I/IIa trials of LGD1069 are continuing, notes Ligand, and Phase IIb trials are expected to begin in the second half of the year. In addition, a topical formulation of LGD1069 is in Phase II trials for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma and mycosis fungoides in the USA. Activity data from Phase I/II trials of the topical form (begun in June 1994) are expected to be released in the third quarter of 1995.