LEXINGTON, MA, June 7, 2000
- Genta Incorporated (Nasdaq:
GNTA
) today announced publication of results with Genasense
TM
, the Company"s lead antisense drug (formerly G3139), used alone
and in combination with standard therapy for non-Hodgkin"s
lymphoma. In immune-deficient mice transplanted with human
lymphoma, treatment with Genasense plus cyclophosphamide completely
eliminated the disease and cured the animals from the otherwise
lethal lymphoma. The study was published this week in Clinical
Cancer Research, an official journal of the American Association
for Cancer Research. (An abstract of the article can be viewed at:
http://www.aacr.org/2000/2100/2140/2140.aspxl
.)
Non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma contains the bcl-2 gene, which is
targeted by Genasense therapy. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan
TM
Bristol Myers Squibb) is possibly the most active single
agent in lymphoma. While low-dose cyclophosphamide alone produced
only short-term effects, the combination of both drugs was highly
synergistic. The major improvement in survival was associated with
eradication of disease that was documented by both histologic and
molecular criteria. Moreover, no effects - either alone or in
combination - were observed when reverse matched or mismatched
control antisense compounds were used, which indicates that the
beneficial effects were strictly related to the antisense
mechanism.
Dr. Howard Fingert, Genta"s Vice President for Clinical and
Regulatory Affairs, stated: "It is especially noteworthy that the
synergistic effects in this study were observed using less than
half of the effective cyclophosphamide dose. These observations
confirm other in vivo studies in diseases such as melanoma, breast
cancer, and prostate cancer - all of which showed highly
synergistic activity when Genasense was used in combination with
standard anticancer therapy. Together, these data comprise the
scientific basis of Genta"s current clinical program, which
combines Genasense with active anticancer drugs to benefit
patients."
