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1210-885 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3E8 Canada
phone:604-688-0199
fax:604-688-0173
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PRX |
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TSX |
| Founded |
0 |
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| www.protoxtherapeutics.com
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| Research Sector |
Biotech Specialty Pharma |
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| Summary Description |
| Targeted therapeutics for prostate diseases and various cancers. |
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| Management |
| Fahar Merchant, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer; Samuel Denmeade, MD, Chief Scientific Officer; John Parkinson, CA, Chief Financial Officer; Nina Merchant, MESc, VP, Development and Regulatory Affairs; Tom D�Orazio, MBA, Vice President, Business Development and Strategy; Shafique Fidai, PhD, Senior Director, Corporate Development |
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| Keywords |
| proteomics, prostate, enlarged prostate, prostate cancer, brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, astrocytoma |
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| Description |
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Protox Therapeutics uses genetic engineering to transform naturally occurring proteins into novel targeted therapeutics for the treatment of prostate diseases and various cancers. Protox is advancing a pipeline of clinical-stage product candidates derived from its PORxin� and INxin� technology platforms. Protox�s lead drugs currently in clinical development include PRX302 for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, commonly known as enlarged prostate) and localized prostate cancer, as well as PRX321 for primary brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytoma). |
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| Technology / Differentiation |
| Protox's lead drug developed from its PORxin platform, PRX302, is an engineered version of proaerolysin, a protein secreted by the bacteria Aeromonas hydrophilia. Proaerolysin contains two important regions that allow it to exert its effect. The first is a binding site that allows the molecule to attach to the surface of a cell and the second is an �activation tail� that must be removed before it is able to form a pore. Protox has engineered the tail on PRX302 so it can be cut off and activated by prostate specific antigen (PSA), an enzyme that is produced at high levels in the prostates of patients with prostate cancer and BPH. Once bound and activated, PRX302 combines with other activated PRX302 molecules to form a mushroom shaped structure that is able to perforate the cell membrane. The cell contents leak out through the resulting pore and the cell dies. PRX302 is injected locally into the prostate to treat prostate cancer and BPH using �molecular surgery� which is much less invasive and potentially safer than traditional surgery. In the case of prostate cancer, the goal is to reduce the size of the tumor or eliminate the tumor altogether. In the case of BPH, lower amounts of PRX302 are used to reduce the size of the prostate, thereby restoring normal urinary function. Protox is also developing second generation PORxin drug candidates with altered binding sites. Altering the binding site may further increase the drug�s specificity, providing greater flexibility to administer and treat an even wider range of diseases. These molecules are currently at the discovery stage. |
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| Status |
| September 8, 2009
Protox Completes Enrollment of Phase 2B BPH Trial |
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