TRC102 is being studied in multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). TRC102 was evaluated in a Phase 2 trial in combination with Temodar chemotherapy in 19 patients with progressive or recurrent GBM who progressed following Temodar and external beam radiotherapy. Extended survival was observed in two patients for more than two years, both of whom demonstrated activation of the DNA base excision repair pathway and demonstrated hyperactivation of DNA damage response genes. TRC102 was also evaluated in combination with chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy in a separate Phase 1 study of 15 patients with newly diagnosed non-squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer that resulted in a response by the Radiographic Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) in all patients, including three patients who had a complete response to treatment.
GBM (also called glioblastoma) is a fast-growing malignant glioma that develops from star-shaped glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) that support the health of the nerve cells within the brain. GBM is the most invasive type of glial tumors, rapidly growing and commonly spreading into nearby brain tissue. The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 22,850 adults (12,630 men and 10,280 women) are diagnosed with brain and other nervous system cancer annually in the U.S. and approximately 15,320 of these diagnoses will result in death. GBM has an incidence of two to three per 100,000 adults per year in the U.S., and accounts for 52 percent of all primary brain tumors.
TRC102 (methoxyamine) is a novel, clinical-stage small molecule inhibitor of the DNA base excision repair pathway, which is a pathway that causes resistance to alkylating and antimetabolite chemotherapeutics.