Dendreon Presents Preclinical Data Validating Anti-Tumor Activity of D-3263, a Trp-...( -- Data Presented at 20th ...)

-- Data Presented at 20th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium --

SEATTLE and GENEVA, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Researchers from Dendreon Corporation (Nasdaq: DNDN) today presented preclinical data on its lead small molecule candidate, D-3263, which targets Trp-p8 (a transmembrane cation channel protein also known as Trp-M8), supporting Trp-p8 as a therapeutic cancer target.

The poster, titled, "Preclinical Validation of the TrpM8 Ion Channel as a Cancer/ Benign Prostate Hyperplasia Target," was presented at the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, National Cancer Institute and American Association for Cancer Research Symposium on molecular targets and cancer therapeutics taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 23, 2008.

"These data provide us with additional evidence supporting the potential for D-3263 as an important new investigational therapy for cancer and also potentially for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)," said David Urdal, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Dendreon.

Results showed that in vitro, D-3263 selectively increases the influx of calcium into Trp-p8 expressing cells leading to cell death. In in vivo animal models, D-3263 significantly inhibited the growth of Trp-p8 expressing tumors in both CHO/TRP-P8 expressing tumors as well as a human prostate cancer xenograft tumor models using the LuCaP 35 prostate cancer cell line. The mean tumor volume in the LuCaP 35 model in animals treated with D-3263 was 123.7 mm3 compared to 207.6 mm3 in the control arm (p=0.004) In addition, D-3263 significantly reduced (p=0.004) the effects of androgen-induced BPH in animal models.

"We previously reported that D-3263 can selectively kill cells that over-express Trp-p8,
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