Cancer treatment developer Biocancell Therapeutics Ltd. (TASE:BICL) said today that it has completed treating the second of two dosage groups in the Phase I/IIa clinical trial of its BC-819 drug against pancreatic cancer.
The trial, which included 9 patients - 3 in the first dosage group, 6 in the second dosage group, has been held in several Israeli hospitals, including Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center, as well as at the University of Maryland's medical center.
The goal of the clinical trial was to examine the safety and efficacy of the drug. Patients in the study received four treatments of BC-819 twice a week for two weeks.
In August, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug status to BC-819 for use in treating pancreatic cancer. FDA "orphan drug" status is for drugs that treat a disease that affects less than 200,000 people each year. The FDA grants seven years of marketing exclusivity and regulatory easing.
Biocancell develops targeted therapies utilizing the H19 gene which is found in high levels in many cancer tissues but is nearly undetectable in normal tissue.
Biocancell shares rose 6.8% in later morning trading.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 7, 2010
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