Alfacell Corporation has begun the process of conducting the formal statistical analysis of the results of its Phase IIIb Clinical Trial on the use of ONCONASE® in patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma. The trial was designed to show that multi-agent use of ONCONASE and doxorubicin for patients with pleural mesothelioma not amenable to surgery is more effective than the use of doxorubicin alone. The statistical analysis is required to complete the final section of ONCONASE’s rolling New Drug Application.

ONCONASE is an anti-cancer compound developed using Alfacell’s proprietary ribonuclease (RNase) technology. Previous laboratory studies have shown that ONCONASE triggers apoptosis in cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone. The mesothelioma trial is the furthest along in the therpeutic use of ONCONASE, but Alfacell is also conducting a Phase I/II trial on the efficacy of ONCONASE for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors.

Labels: mesothelioma