“Very strange”
Colin Hopper, surgeon and head of the phase-I study at UCL says to VG that he was very surprised with the effects of the PCI technology: “The cancer tumours became almost black and fell of in front of our eyes.”
First patient thanks scientist Kristian Berg
So far seven patients with different kinds of cancer has been treated with the PCI technology in the study. One of the patients, John O´Reilly (66), had a tumour at the back of the tongue and would not have survived regular surgery. With the PCI Biotech technology the tumour was removed within 40 minutes, and now the doctors can’t fin a trace of cancer in his body.
O`Reilly says to VG that he is grateful for the treatment and that he sends his thanks to Kristin Berg, professor at the Norwegian Radium Hospital, that has developed the technology.
Per Walday is excited
"We are very excited by the positive results that have been reported from University College Hospital (UCH) in London. The strong antitumor response seen in all patients treated with Amphinex® is far better than expected at the first dose levels and indicates that the positive pre-clinical results obtained with our PCI technology are transferrable to treatment in humans", says PCI Biotech CEO Per Walday.
Read more on the technology and watch videos here: http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2008/november/201927
About PCI Biotech
PCI Biotech is a Norwegian biopharmaceutical company developing a novel light directed drug delivery system based on its patented photochemical internalisation (PCI) technology. Originating from world leading research at the Norwegian Radium Hospital, the PCI method involves first injecting target cells with a photosensitiser.
Therapeutic molecules are then delivered to the cells and when these are illuminated the cells' endosomes are ruptured to allow successful uptake.
PCI can enhance the delivery of all molecules taken into the cell by endocytosis. This includes most types of macromolecules, drugs carried by antibodies or nanoparticles, as well as some small molecule drugs. In addition, PCI enables the use of more toxic compounds by restricting their effects to the target site.
PCI Biotech follows a dual strategy of using its technology to improve the effect both of existing drugs and for emerging treatments such as gene therapy. PCI Biotech's first clinical study couples the proven photosensitiser Amphinex® with the cytotoxic agent bleomycin. Other studies are planned for the delivery of other cancer drugs in relevant indications.
For more information visit: www.pcibiotech.com