Vertex Begins VX-710 Clinical Trials

Vertex has begun clinical testing of its anticancer agent VX-710, a multidrug resistance modulator. The first Phase I study is underway in cancer patients with a variety of solid tumors, who will receive a combination of VX-710 and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Taxol (paclitaxel) in multiple courses of therapy over several months.

Vertex expects to begin a second Phase I trial of the drug, which is thought to work by blocking the MDR-1 protein pump, in a similar populations of patients who will receive VX-710 in combination with Pharmacia's Adriamycin (doxorubicin). The two trials are not expected to be completed until towards the end of 1995.

US IND For Protease Inhibitor? Meantime, Burroughs Wellcome is planning to file an Investigational New Drug application for Vertex' protease inhibitor VX-478, as a treatment for HIV infection alone and in combination with reverse transcriptase inhibitors in the USA in the next few days, according to a B-W spokesman. Kissei Pharmaceutical, which has licensed rights in Japan, plans to file for approval to begin clinical trials at around the same time.