Bionomics anticancer compound well tolerated

Bionomics (ASX:BNO) will present data from two clinical trials of its anticancer compound BNC105, revealing results in line with expectations.

The company will provide the results of a completed phase II trial in patients with mesothelioma, as well as a phase I trial in renal cancer.

The data, which will be presented at the annual American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, indicates that below-full doses of BNC105 are well tolerated in patients.

Bionomics recently completed a phase II trial of BNC105 in patients with mesothelioma, and progressing though first line chemotherapy.

Patients were provided with the compound in addition to Alimta and cisplatin. Of the thirty patients enrolled in the trial, one patient was classified with having a stable disease, and one patient showed an objective response.

Two patients with stable disease also recorded a decrease in mesothelin to under 75% of baseline.

Bionomics CEO Dr Deborah Rathjen said the data from the three patients with reduced mesothelin levels was particularly promising. “Mesothelin levels potentially correlate with disease activity in mesothelioma,” she said.

The compound was also well-tolerated in the patients involved in the trial, at the phase II dose level used.

Bionomics will also present data from a phase I trial of BNC105 in renal cancer, the precursor to the phase II trials currently taking place in the US.

The safety and tolerability trial of BNC105 confirmed that the recommended dose of Afinitor was well tolerated in combination with the phase II dose level of the compound.

BNC105 is a vascular disrupting agent designed to shut down tumour blood vessels, leaving normal cells untouched. It has also been shown to have a direct cytotoxic effect on cancer cells, including platinum-resistant cells.

Bionomics is also testing the compound in ovarian cancer, and launched a phase I/II clinical trial in May.

Bionomics (ASX:BNO) shares fell 2.78% in Friday's trading at $0.350.