Starpharma's DEO shows reduced neurotoxicity

Starpharma’s (ASX:SPL) new dendrimer-enhanced chemotherapy drug, Dendrimer-Enhanced Oxaliplatin (DEO), has shown significantly reduced neurotoxicity compared to vanilla oxaliplatin.

During a blinded study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, DEO showed lower neurotoxicity in animal models of peripheral neuropathy.

Oxaliplatin is primarily used to treat colon and colorectal cancer. The brand leader in Sanofi-Aventis’ Eloxatin.

Neurological adverse effects are the dose-limiting toxicity for oxaliplatin. Peripheral neuropathy occurs in up to 95% of patients and takes two main forms. One is marked by increased cold sensitivity, but the other can cause chronic neuropathic pain and long-term nerve damage.

During the trial, DEO reduced neurotoxicity in models of both forms, even when DEO was used at twice the dose of oxaliplatin.

“The neuropathy which occurs commonly with oxaliplatin is a serious and debilitating condition for patients and often lasts for years. In the clinic, typically the intensity and duration of symptoms of neuropathy increase as the cumulative dose of oxaliplatin increases and may lead to the need for dose reduction or even treatment cessation,” Starpharma CEO Dr Jackie Fairley said.

“For this reason, clinicians and patients agree that it would be of tremendous benefit if it were possible to reduce or prevent this most unpleasant side effect.”

The finding builds on previous research showing that DEO can also potentially reduce bone marrow toxicity, including the life-threatening condition neutropenia, compared to oxaliplatin alone. These results were announced last month.

On the strength of the preclinical data, Starpharma is advancing DEO derivatives into development.

The company is at the phase I trial stage for its first dendrimer-enhanced chemotherapy drug, dendrimer-docetaxel.

Starpharma (ASX:SPL) shares were trading 1.66% lower at $0.89 as of around 2 pm on Monday.