Wednesday, 28th September 2005 (4466 views)

CytImmune is close to securing $5 million to fund human trials of its cancer-fighting drug technology that uses gold nanoparticles, reports The Washington Business Journal.

The company recently announced that it would start producing its first tumour-targeting biotherapeutic to be used in human trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

This institute is in the midst of a $144 million initiative to develop and apply nanotechnology to cancer, and will later this month carry out a Phase I trial of the nanoparticles at Georgetown University Medical Centre.

Colloidal gold nanoparticles have long been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and CytImmune has also found them to be effective in administering cancer drugs, as they significantly reduce toxicity and the side effects of the medication.

CytImmune discovered that when cytokine was injected into animals without the use of colloidal gold it proved toxic, whereas binding the cytokine to colloidal gold rendered it significantly less toxic.

Larry Tamarkin, CytImmune's president and chief executive commented: "Things are really starting to take shape. It's very exciting."

Testing is expected to start as early as next year and the first marketable product will probably be Aurimune, which the company aims to get approved in the US, Europe and Japan.

 

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