NST molecular imaging marker heads to clinical trial

NST NeuroSurvival Technologies Ltd. has obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin Phase I/II clinical trials for the company's ApoSense molecular imaging technology. ApoSense has already passed safety and effectiveness trials in Europe, and a larger effectiveness trial has been launched in Israel.

ApoSense is a set of original, small, rationally-designed molecules, which target and accumulate in cells undergoing apoptosis (cell death). Using PET scans, the technique can map cellular death in the body.

NST's first product is designed for cancer. The trial will be conducted on patients with brain tumors. ApoSense can help doctors see whether chemotherapy or radiotherapy is effective in killing the cancer cells. The system can tell relatively quickly if treatment is working, even before damage to the tumor tissue can be identified externally. It is possible to adjust the dosage, direction of the radiation, and other treatment features on the basis of the results. If apoptosis has not begun, it is possible to switch immediately to other treatments.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 28, 2008