The drug Motexafin Gadolinium ( Xcytrin ), based on a molecule developed by chemists at The University of Texas at Austin, showed significant promise in prolonging cognitive function in patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has metastasized to the brain.

In a Phase 3 trial, Motexafin Gadolinium was delivered in conjunction with whole brain radiation treatment to patients with non-small cell lung cancer that had spread to the brain.

Motexafin Gadolinium significantly prolonged the time to neurologic progression, which is described as a change in mental status, vision and muscle strength associated with the progression of brain cancers.

" In conjunction with radiation, Motexafin Gadolinium enhances cancer cell death," said Jonathan Sessler, co-founder of Pharmacyclics “ Radiation puts stress on the cells and the drug puts further stress on the cells. Add them together and the cells start to die."

More than 500 patients from North America, France and Australia participated in this Pharmacyclics trial combining Motexafin Gadolinium injection with whole brain radiation.
In North America, patients receiving the treatment experienced neurologic progression 16 months later than patients not receiving the treatment.

Xcytrin is based on texaphyrin molecules developed in Sessler's lab.
Texaphyrins localize to cancer cells and disrupt cellular metabolism and energy production, weakening or destroying the cells. The molecules are relatively non-toxic to normal cells.

Sessler's texaphyrins were designed to hold heavy metals like Gadolinium, commonly used to produce magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) agents. As a consequence,
Xcytrin allows tumors to be visualized through MRI.

The ability to both detect and treat brain and other cancers using the same agent could prove advantageous in a clinical setting, which Pharmacyclics and its collaborators are studying in the context of ongoing early stage clinical trials.

Source: University of Texas at Austin, 2006


XagenaMedicine2006