OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals has announced the commencement of a fourth Phase II genitourinary (GU) cancer study, as part of its OGX-427 Overcoming Resistance in Cancer (ORCA) programme.
The Borealis-2 investigator-sponsored trial is a randomised, controlled Phase II study designed to assess OGX-427 in patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer, in whom disease has progressed after the initial platinum-based chemotherapy treatment.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center associate physician Jonathan Rosenberg said that when bladder cancer patients relapse, resistance to chemotherapy is common.
"This trial will evaluate the potential of OGX-427 to work synergistically with second- or third-line chemotherapy to overcome treatment resistance and prolong survival in patients with advanced bladder cancer," Rosenberg said.
The study will assess if OGX-427 and docetaxel combination therapy can improve survival compared to docetaxel alone.
OncoGenex president and chief executive officer Scott Cormack said; "The launch of Borealis-2 marks OncoGenex’ continued commitment to expanding the OGX-427 clinical development programme to better understand treatment resistance in GU cancers."
OGX-427 is designed to restrain Heat Shock Protein 27 (HSP27), the over expression of which is believed to be a crucial factor for the development of treatment resistance, in addition to producing negative clinical outcomes in patients with various tumour types.
HSP27 is a cell-survival protein found at elevated levels in many human cancers such as prostate, bladder, breast and non-small cell lung cancer.
