Data Presented at 2007 ASH Meeting Demonstrate Activity of Forodesine HCl as a Single Agent or in Combination With Bendamustine in Certain Types of Leukemia an...( BIRMINGHAM Ala. Dec. 14 /- BioCry...),Health

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) today reported clinical trial and in vitro data evaluating forodesine HCl, the Company's lead anti-cancer compound, in the treatment of certain types of leukemias and lymphomas.

Madeline Duvic, M.D., Deputy Chair, Dermatology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center presented interim data from the Phase I/II clinical study of oral forodesine HCl in the treatment of subjects with refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The open-label, multi-center, dose-escalation trial further evaluated oral forodesine HCl at the optimal biologic dose in 36 subjects with refractory CTCL. The overall response rate for these subjects was 39%, including 2 subjects with complete response (6%) and 12 subjects with partial response (33%). For those patients with erythroderma at baseline, 65% of patients had significant improvement in erythroderma. These data concluded that in addition to a good safety profile, forodesine HCl demonstrated clinical activity as a single oral agent in patients with advanced refractory CTCL. These data supplement information previously presented at the 2006 ASH meeting. BioCryst is currently enrolling subjects in a pivotal trial of forodesine HCl for the treatment of CTCL.

Additionally, Roberto Alonso Gil, Ph.D., Hematopathology Unit, Clinic Hospital of Barcelona presented a poster detailing the in vitro activity of forodesine HCl and the synergistic in vitro activity of forodesine HCl with bendamustine in primary cells from 29 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Forodesine HCl alone induced apoptosis regardless of the ZAP-70 and p53 status. In addition, a significant synergistic effect was o
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