Polyphor completes Ph I trial of CXCR4 blocker

UK-based Polyphor has completed a Phase I trial demonstrating the safety of POL6326, a CXCR4 inhibitor for potential use in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and also in the therapy of cancers affecting the bone marrow, such as certain leukemias.

The trial was conducted by Covance, and involved 74 healthy volunteers enrolled in the UK. The primary objective was to demonstrate that POL6326 was safe and well tolerated. Additional tests also confirmed the efficacy of the agent in the mobilization of HSCs and supported the hypothesis that it might also have applications in other indications such as tissue repair.

The agent is a potent, selective and reversible CXCR4 inhibitor belonging to a novel drug class based on Polyphor's proprietary Protein Epitope Mimetics technology. This product is the most advanced candidate in a family of CXCR4 blockers being developed for intravenous and subcutaneous administration, Polyphor stated, noting that blockade of the CXCR4 receptor mobilizes HSCs from the bone marrow into the blood stream where they can be harvested for transplant supporting the treatment of blood or bone marrow diseases.