NEREUS INITIATES CLINICAL TRIAL FOR PROTEASOME INHIBITOR

Nereus Pharmaceuticals has initiated a Phase I clinical trial of NPI-0052, a novel, small molecule proteasome inhibitor, to treat patients with solid tumors and lymphomas. The single-agent study is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the anticancer compound.

The open-label trial is expected to enroll approximately 50 patients with advanced solid tumors or refractory lymphomas at two trial sites -- the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Participants will receive once-weekly, intravenous doses of NPI-0052, which will be escalated to determine a maximum tolerated dose. Other objectives include tumor response, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses.