Zeneca Pipeline Part II: Exploratory Targets

As reported in the Marketletter's last issue, Zeneca has a stream of promising new products entering or nearing the marketplace which should support the business for a good number of years. In addition, two new compounds have entered late-stage development, and the firm has a range of early clinical and preclinical candidates with interesting properties.

ZD0870 is a triazole antifungal, developed by Zeneca in collaboration with Mochida, which may be a valuable treatment for fungal infections in immunocompromised patients, including those with AIDS. The drug is in Phase II trials for oropharyngeal candidiasis, and has shown activity in strains of C albicans which are resistant to fluconazole. Both oral and intravenous formulations are in development, and license applications may be filed as early as 1998.

ICI 182,780 is claimed to be the only pure antiestrogen for the treatment of breast cancer in the world. The lack of partial agonist activity, as seen with Zeneca's best-selling Nolvadex (tamoxifen) drug, should reduce drug-related side effects such as a slight increase in the risk of endometrial cancer.