ATL1101 - For Prostate Cancer
ATL1101 is an antisense inhibitor of IGF-Ir which has shown potent activity in laboratory studies, including in human cancer cells. IGF-Ir is one of the best known of a family of cell signaling molecules that are referred to as "anti-apoptotic". These molecules prolong cell survival by inhibiting programmed cell death (apoptosis). The connection between IGF-Ir activity and prostate cell tumorigenicity has been studied for many years. Inhibition of cell survival molecules like IGF-Ir can render tumour cells more susceptible to cell death with cytotoxic (cell death inducing) drugs. Similar "chemosensitiser" therapeutic approaches targeting the IGF-Ir are under investigation in several large pharmaceutical companies, lending support to our own antisense-based strategy against the same target.
Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men after skin cancer. It is estimated there will be 218,890 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. this year. Around 1 in 6 men will develop prostate cancer, a third to a half of whom will recur after local treatment and risk progression to metastatic prostate cancer. Metastatic disease invariably progresses to hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) if given enough time. Treatment options are limited for HRPC, and prognosis is poor. There is a pressing need for the development of new treatments.
