OXIGENE TO BEGIN ONCOLOGY CLINICAL TRIAL

OxiGene will initiate a clinical trial with its lead vascular disrupting compound, Combretastatin A4 Phosphate (CA4P). The Phase Ib study will evaluate CA4P in combination therapy with Avastin (bevacizumab).

The trial follows preclinical data that showed that the combination of CA4P with the anti-angiogenic drug Avastin, produced significant antitumor activity. This data showed that treatment with Avastin or CA4P alone resulted in tumor growth delays of eight days and six days, respectively. The data also showed that CA4P was effective at causing extensive vasculature damage and tumor cell death in the central regions of solid tumors.