Innovative treatment goes into Phase II trial in US

[PressWatch]

Infinity Pharmaceuticals (a smallish biotech company in Cambridge, Massachussetts) has a compound - IPI-926 - which, combined with gemcitabine, is going into Phase II clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.

http://www.news-medical.net/.../Infinity-Pharmaceuticals-initiates-Phase-1b2-trial-of-IPI-926-Hedgehog-pathway-inhibitor-for-pancreatic-cancer.aspx

Apparently this material caused quite a stir when announced at a conference earlier this year. The material is claimed to inhibit regrowth of tumour cells after treatment with Gemcitabine.

Presswatch

[PressWatch]

''The scientists found.........that pancreatic cancer is resistant to chemotherapy because the tumours tend to have poor networks of blood vessels called vasculature, which makes it harder for drugs to reach the tumour.''

Tuveson now developing new testing models.

Presswatch