Phenoxodiol represents a new direction for anti-cancer therapy by manipulating apoptosis. When the process malfunctions in cancer cells, it can prevent normal cell death or death from chemotherapeutic attack. Phenoxodiol manipulates initiation of apoptosis through interaction with key molecules in the control mechanism including sphingosine kinase and the caspase proteins.

"We are very encouraged by this early result," said Graham Kelly Ph.D., chairman of the Australian-U.S. company that is developing the drug. "The data presented today are consistent with what we've seen in other trials with phenoxodiol which is stabilization of cancer growth in some patients without serious toxicity."

"We continue to refine the search for the optimum dose, the best method of administration, and the cancer targets that will respond best to phenoxodiol," said Dr. Kelly. "But we are exactly where we expected to be today."

Patients in the trial had a variety of cancers that had failed to respond to standard chemotherapeutic agents. The test drug was administered by intravenous infusion for six weeks. Treatment could be continued past six weeks if there were no evidence of tumor progression or serious toxicity. Of the 10 patients in the trial, 6 remained on phenoxodiol beyond six weeks following evidence of stabilization of their disease.

"Phenoxodiol is an interesting new drug. It may target certain proteins in cancer cells that could be key to the cancer process," said Thomas Hutson, M.D., the trial's co-investigator.

"Phase I clinical trials are mainly about evaluating the safety of new drugs and how to use those drugs, rather than about whether or not the drug works. We are encouraged that phenoxodiol was reasonably well tolerated," said Ronald Bukowski, M.D., Director of Experimental Therapeutics at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, the site of the trial.