Acceleron starts clinical trial of dalantercept

Acceleron Pharma has announced that the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) has sponsored its phase 2 study of dalantercept.

Patients with persistent or recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer are taking part in the research, which aims to measure the effectiveness of dalantercept as a novel protein therapeutic treatment.

It targets the activin receptor-like kinase (ALK1) pathway and inhibits angiogenesis through a mechanism distinct from that of anti-angiogenic therapies presently used to combat a number of cancers in cells.

In a phase 1 study of patients with advanced-stage tumours, the drug was generally well-tolerated and led to objective response and prolonged stable disease.

Robert Burger, director of the Women’s Cancer Centre is chair of the research, which is the second clinical trial of the drug to be sponsored by the GOG.

The previous study began in November 2012 and investigated patients with endometrial cancer.

Dr Burger said: "Resistance to current therapies remains a significant challenge in treating patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

"Dalantercept could offer a new therapeutic option for patients and we are excited to explore the potential benefits in this phase 2 study."

Matthew Sherman, chief medical officer at Acceleron, said that the GOG has a "long history of excellence in designing and running clinical trials in the field of "gynaecological malignancies".

Mr Sherman outlined that dalantercept is now being studied in several phase 2 trials in patients with endometrial cancer, head and neck cancer, and renal cell carcinoma".

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women, making it the deadliest gynaecologic cancer.

The disease is often not detected until it reaches the advanced stages, when it is most difficult to treat.

Across the world, a predicted 225,000 patients are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year, with 140,000 dying.

Even though treatment through cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy has proven effective in some cases, relapse remains common.

Posted by Neil Clark