BRIEF—WHO grants INN name ecubectedin to PharmaMar's anti-tumor compound PM14

Spanish drugmaker PharmaMar says that the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) of its investigational anti-tumor compound PM14 as ecubectedin.

The WHO has published a list of recommended INNs on its website, including this new name for PharmaMar's active ingredient, which means that it can now be used officially.

Ectubectedin is currently in Phase I-II clinical development, both as a single agent and in combination with other drugs for the treatment of solid tumors. The four ongoing clinical trials with this compound are being conducted in 12 hospitals in Spain, France, the UK and USA.

Ecubectedin is a compound that acts by specifically inhibiting RNA synthesis and active transcription of protein-coding genes.