Vion begins Triapine/ cisplatin Phase I trial

Vion Pharmaceuticals has begun a second Phase I combination trial ofits anticancer drug Triapine which will evaluate the safety and maximum-tolerated dose of cisplatin, a drug which has demonstrated anticancer activity in various solid tumors, when administered with Triapine for the treatment of patients with advanced cancer.

Triapine is a potent inhibitor of the ribonucleotide reductase enzyme which, in preclinical studies, has been shown to inhibit DNA synthesis, slow or stop cancer cell division and disrupt repair of DNA damage caused by anticancer agents such as cisplatin. Preclinical studies have also shown that Triapine and cisplatin in combination are more effective than either drug used alone. Phase I trials demonstrated that Triapine monotherapy was well-tolerated and has antitumor activity in patients with advanced treatment-resistant cancers.