Aegera Initiates a Fifth Phase one and two Clinical Trial for AEG35156

Aegera Therapeutics Inc. has announced the dosing of the first patient in a fifth phase 1 and 2 clinical oncology study of AEG35156, a second generation antisense therapeutic targeting XIAP, a key member of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis protein family.

The study, made possible, in part, by funding from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, is entitled "A Phase 1-2, Multicenter, Open-Label Study of the X- Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis (XIAP) Antisense AEG35156 in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma and Follicular Lymphoma."

It is being conducted at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) located in Toronto, Ontario, and is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Christine Chen, with co-Principal Investigators Dr. Aaron Schimmer and Dr. Joe Brandwein, all from the PMH's Department of Hematology and Oncology.

The primary objective of this study is to determine the recommended dose of AEG35156 in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and follicular lymphoma (FL), and to determine the safety profile and response rate to AEG35156 in these patient populations.

"Preliminary evidence of activity in lymphoma was observed in phase 1 studies with AEG35156," stated Dr. Jacques Jolivet, Aegera's VP Clinical. "This clinical trial will specifically study the role played by XIAP knockdown in inducing antitumor activity in CLL, SLL and FL."