Pharmacyclics Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Novel Oral Btk Inhibitor for Refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin'...( 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Poster Session ...),Health

8:00 am - 12:00 pm Poster Board Number 24

#3740 A Clinical Trial of the Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (Btk) Inhibitor PCI-32765 in Naturally Occurring Canine Lymphoma. Lee A. Honigberg, Ashley M. Smith, David J. Loury, Joseph J. Buggy, Douglas H. Thamm. Pharmacyclics, Sunnyvale, CA, Colorado State University Animal Cancer Center, Fort Collins, CO

About Pharmacyclics' Btk Inhibitor Program

PCI-32765 is currently targeted for oncology while other Pharmacyclics Btk inhibitors are being developed for application to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Bruton's tyrosine kinase is a critical enzyme involved in B-cell activation and function, and inhibition may be useful in the treatment of a number of immune mediated diseases. B-cells are a type of white blood cell that normally play an important role in the body's immune response. However, when B-cells are overactive, the immune system produces inflammatory cells and antibodies that begin to attack the body's own tissue, leading to autoimmune disorders. Also many lymphomas are caused by uncontrolled growth of B-cells where activation of the B-cell receptor and Btk signaling are thought to play important roles.

In addition to being studied in a Phase 1 trial for refractory B-cell non- Hodgkin lymphoma, PCI-32765 has been evaluated in preclinical studies in collagen-induced arthritis, an established animal model for RA. In these studies, PCI-32765 dramatically reduced inflammation and induced regression of established disease as reported at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) 2008 annual meeting .

About B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, an integral part of the immune system, and is typically classi
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