ZIOPHARM TREATS FIRST PATIENT IN ZIO-201 STUDY

Ziopharm Oncology has reported the dosing of the first patient in a Phase I/II trial with ZIO-201, the company's proprietary alkylating drug.

ZIO-201 (isophosphoramide mustard or IPM) is the active metabolite of ifosfamide, a frequently used treatment for sarcoma. Due to the high toxicity of ifosfamide, mesna is frequently co-administered as an "uroprotective" agent. The company expects ZIO-201 to be a useful agent that will deliver therapeutic activity at higher doses with less toxicity than that associated with ifosfamide. An ongoing Phase I study suggests ZIO-201 may be given at doses that deliver more of the active metabolite (IPM) than can be achieved using ifosfamide.