Sunday, June 29, 2008

Update: NVLT

I'm in the process of legging the ground work of NVLT's product pipeline. I can get more in depth tomorrow when I can gain access to scientific journals at work.

Some Background First:
The Company was incorporated in June 1996 as AVAM International, Inc. In October 1998, Novelos Therapeutics, Inc., a newly incorporated entity, merged into AVAM, and the name of AVAM was changed to Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. In 2005, the Company completed a two-step reverse merger with Common Horizons, Inc., and its wholly-owned subsidiary Nove Acquisition, Inc. Following the merger, the surviving company was Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company commercializing oxidized glutathione-based compounds for the treatment of cancer and hepatitis. NOV-002, its lead compound, is currently in Phase 3 development for lung cancer under a Special Protocol Assessment and Fast Track. NOV-002 is also in Phase 2 development for chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer and early-stage breast cancer, and is also being developed for acute radiation injury. NOV-205, the Company's second compound, is in Phase 1b development for chronic hepatitis C non-responders. Both compounds have completed clinical trials in humans and have been approved for use in Russia where they were originally developed.

Ok, so what does glutathione based compounds mean?
IN the body, glutathione acts much like a scavenger, finding and neutralizing free oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide. It's a small molecule produced in every cell of the body. It has three amino acids. It originates from three primary amino acids in the body: glutamate, cysteine and glycine. Glutathione is actually a tripeptide made up the amino acids gamma-glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine. The primary biological function of glutathione is to act as a non-enzymatic reducing agent to help keep cysteine thiol side chains in a reduced state on the surface of proteins. Glutathione is also used to prevent oxidative stress in most cells and helps to trap free radicals that can damage DNA and RNA. There is a direct correlation with the speed of aging and the reduction of glutathione concentrations in intracellular fluids. As individuals grow older, glutathione levels drop, and the ability to detoxify free radicals decreases.

NOV-002: (from Novelos website: www.novelos.com)
NOV-002, the lead compound, acts as a chemoprotectant and a chemopotentiator. NOV-002 was approved in Russia where it is marketed by PharmaBAM under the trade name Glutoxim®. NOV-002 has already been administered to over 10,000 patients, including clinical studies of 390 patients across many tumor types, demonstrating clinical efficacy and excellent safety. In one controlled, randomized Russian Phase 2 trial, NOV-002 in combination with cisplatin-based chemotherapy increased the one-year survival of advanced NSCLC patients from 17% to 63% (p < href="http://www.glutoxim.ru/" target="_blank">Glutoxim®. NOV-002 has already been administered to over 10,000 patients, including clinical studies of 390 patients across many tumor types, demonstrating clinical efficacy and excellent safety. In one controlled, randomized Russian Phase 2 trial, NOV-002 in combination with

Post is getting long. Repost with more info shortly. Reading the mechanism of action now.

No comments: