On Target Laboratories begins Phase 2 clinical trials for its cancer imaging agent
December 9, 2014
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Officials at On Target Laboratories LLC, whose fluorescent imaging technology could help surgeons remove more cancerous tissue than previously possible, have announced that patients are being enrolled in a Phase 2 clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of the OTL38 imaging agent in patients with ovarian cancer.
On Target Laboratories has developed small-molecule ligands that target specific receptors that are over-expressed on solid tumor cancers. The ligands are attached to proprietary fluorescent imaging agents that light up the cancer during surgery.
Tim Biro, chief operating officer, said about 25,000 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed annually and usually it is discovered in Stage 3 or Stage 4 when it has spread in the peritoneal cavity.
"One of the goals of cancer surgery is safely removing as much of the cancer as possible. OTL38 might help surgeons find lesions that otherwise may not have been found," he said. "This could allow for more complete removal of cancer during surgery."
Biro said the clinical trials will evaluate OTL38 in combination with several camera imaging systems.
"The study will include finding cancer lesions that fluoresce, which the surgeon might not have found because of the size or location," he said. "Up to five sites will participate in the Phase 2 study, with up to 45 patients enrolled between December and May."
About On Target Laboratories LLC
On Target Laboratories is in the business of discovering, developing and commercializing small molecules that, when conjugated with fluorescent dyes, target and illuminate specific cancerous cells and other diseased tissue. These conjugates can be used by doctors, including surgeons, worldwide to better diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases from cancer to inflammation-related disorders.
About Purdue Research Park
The Purdue Research Park is the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The Purdue Research Park manages the Purdue Technology Centers in four sites in the State of Indiana located in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany. The more than 260 companies located in the park network employ about 4,500 people who earn an average annual wage of $63,000. The park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year from the National Business Incubator Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.
Purdue Research Park contact: Cynthia Sequin, 765-588-3340, casequin@prf.org
Source: Tim Biro, 765-588-4547, tgboif@gmail.com
