US/Canadian OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: OGXI) specializes in the development of novel therapeutics that target important mechanisms of treatment resistance in cancer.

It has custirsen in Phase III development, an experimental drug that is designed to block the production of the protein clusterin, which may play a fundamental role in cancer cell survival and treatment resistance.

Apatorsen (OGX-427), a once-weekly intravenous experimental drug designed to inhibit production of Hsp27 to disable cancer cells’ defenses and overcome treatment resistance, is in Phase II development.

The company also has investigational compound OGX-225 in pre-clinical development. OGX-225 is a second generation antisense drug candidate designed to inhibit the production of Insulin Growth Factor Binding Proteins -2 and -5 (IGFBP-2, IGFBP-5), two proteins that when overexpressed affect the growth of cancer cells.