On April 23, 2021 Prescient Therapeutics (PTX) reported that it will progress to the next dose level of its Phase 1b clinical study of PTX-200 and cytarabine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Press release, Prescient Therapeutics, APR 23, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prescient-therapeutics-asxptx-continues-to-advance-ptx-200-aml-trial [SID1234578472]).

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In August last year, the company announced patients had successfully completed the first round of dosing at 25 milligrams per square metre (mg/m2) PTX-200.

Now, the second cohort at 35 mg/m2 PTX-200 has also passed with no dose limiting toxicities observed.

Under a revised study protocol, the treatment is administered on day one, and cytarabine is administered by continuous infusion on days three to seven of a 21-day cycle.

Following a review of the safety data from this cohort with the study investigators, the next cohort is open for enrolment which will be an increased dose level of 45 mg/m2 PTX-200.

AML is a cancer of the bone marrow that prevents formation of normal blood cells.

Around 158,000 patients globally suffer from this type of cancer, which has poor survival rates.

Prescient’s Chief Medical officer Dr Terrence Chew says the disease is very difficult to treat, especially after relapse when patients are often too sick to endure vigorous treatment.

"It is therefore pleasing to see the completion of this cohort without dose limiting toxicities, suggesting that AML patients are able to better tolerate the combination of PTX-200 and cytarabine under the modified protocol," he said.

PTX-200 is a novel PH domain inhibitor that blocks an important tumour survival pathway known as Akt, which plays a key role in the development of many cancers, including leukemia.

PTX-200 is different to other drug candidates as it has a novel mechanism of action that specifically inhibits Akt and is said to be safer.

The study is led by world-renowned leukemia expert Professor Jeffrey Lancet at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, Associate Professor Tara Lin at the University of Kansas Medical Center is also participating in the study.

Shares are 8.2 per cent higher trading at 10.5 cents each at 10:08 am AEST.