Novogen's Trilexium shows promise in child cancers

Novogen (ASX:NRT) said preclinical trials of lead drug candidate Trilexium show its potential in treating childhood cancers.

Two lab studies of the super-benzopyran drug candidate confirm its ability to kill the paediatric brain cancer cells diffuse pontine glioma and paediatric neuroblastoma.

Trilexium is already under development for the treatment of adult primary and secondary brain cancers. It has been shown to be cytotoxic to glioblastoma multiforme cells derived from patients who have failed to respond to standard chemotherapy.

But brain cancers in children tend to behave differently than in adults, so Trilexium being effective in this cohort was not an automatic assumption. The lab studies clear the way for the compound to enter the clinic as a potential treatment for childhood cancers.

“Children’s cancer is an area notoriously neglected by pharmaceutical companies,” Novogen CEO Dr Graham Kelly said.

“Only one drug has been developed specifically with children’s cancers in mind, and children with brain cancer and neuroblastoma are being treated with drugs developed for adults, with the children then at risk of bearing the results of toxic side effects for the rest of their lives.”

Novogen is a member of the Children’s Oncology Drug Alliance, an initiative to address this situation.

Novogen has also announced it has launched a capital raising worth up to $10 million to help transition lead product Cantrixil into the clinic.

Cantixil is the cancer drug candidate developed by Novogen-Yale University joint venture CanTx. It is being developed as a first-line therapy for ovarian cancer, in combination with carboplatin.

Novogen will raise the funds through the issue of ordinary shares and options, at an up to 20% discount to market rates.

Novogen (ASX:NRT) shares were trading 4.17% higher at $0.125 as of around 1.30 pm on Wednesday.