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By Anthony Schwartz, PhD NASDAQ:CPXX

Celator Pharmaceuticals (CPXX) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel formulations of currently approved drugs to treat various cancers. The company presented data on its lead candidate, CPX-351, at the 2014 American Society of Hematology meeting in San Francisco. CPX-351 is a liposome delivery system which encapsulates FDA approved cytarbine and daunorubicin with hopes of reducing systemic toxicity while targeting cancerous cells. Pre-clinical data presented show that drug metabolism and excretion was markedly decreased with CPX-351 compared to either drug alone. These results suggest that CPX-351 is avoiding normal healthy tissues and suggest a potentially improved safety profile. In addition and most compelling, CPX-351 was shown to accumulate in the bone marrow at the concentrations and durations (four days) shown to be efficacious against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in humans. In addition to this safety and distribution, the Company is also conducting a clinical trial (Phase II) in adult patients with untreated high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and AML. These patients are typically unable to receive traditional intensive chemotherapy therapy because of treatment related mortality or drug resistance. The company is currently administering CPX-351 in two different dosing regimens (32 and 64 unit/m²) and interim clinical data show that objective responses have been observed at both dosages. The company hopes that CPX-351 will be able to provide a new treatment modality for these patients due to the drug’s ability to reduce systemic toxicities. Celator plans to expand these studies with hopes of maximizing treatment efficacy while reducing early leukemia-related deaths. READ THE LATEST FULL RESEARCH REPORT HERE SUBSCRIBE TO ZACKS SMALL CAP RESEARCH to receive our articles and reports emailed directly to you each morning. Please visit our website for additional information on Zacks SCR and to view our disclaimer.