NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Tekmira Pharmaceuticals this week announced that it is beginning a Phase I/II trial of its cancer drug TKM-PLK1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
TKM-PLK1 uses the company's proprietary lipid nanoparticles to deliver siRNAs against polo-like kinase 1, a serine/threonine kinase that is key to cell progression and is over-expressed in a number of cancer types.
The agent is already in a Phase I/II trial in patients with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors or adrenocortical carcinoma. Interim data from that study is expected later this year.
The planned HCC trial is designed to test escalating doses of TKM-PLK1 in patients with advanced forms of the disease. It will study the drug's safety, tolerability, and clinical benefit.