Trial of Vitaxin as Treatment for Advanced Colorectal Cancer Starts

A phase I/II clinical trial is underway to test MedImmune's experimental drug Vitaxin as a treatment for advanced colorectal cancer.

Vitaxin is an antibody that may inhibit the growth of new blood vessels by binding to a specific integrin expressed on a number of cells that are critical in the development of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis as well as cancer.

Phase I of the study is an open-label, single-center, dose escalation trial that will include 16 patients and evaluate the safety of the drug and determine a recommended Phase II dose.

Phase II of the study is an open-label trial with 40 patients suffering from advanced colorectal cancer and will evaluate the antitumor activity of Vitaxin.

Other sources: MedImmune, Washington Post