Singapore: Patrys received approval to progress its phase I/IIa PAT-SM6 multiple myeloma trial based on safety data from its second group of patients.

The second group of three patients was treated in the Department of Haematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany. Each patient in this group received four doses of Patrys' lead antibody PAT-SM6, at a dose level of 1 mg/kg. No significant adverse events were reported from the patient group. Accordingly, the independent board monitoring the trial has given approval for the trial to progress to the third patient group.

The recruitment of the third group of three patients has commenced. Each of the patients in the third group will initially receive four doses of PAT-SM6, at a dose level of 3 mg/kg.

Professor Max Topp and Dr Leo Rasche, both from the University Hospital of Würzburg, are responsible for recruiting and treating patients in the trial. The specialist clinic is headed by Professor Dr Hermann Einsele, who is also a member of the medical advisory board for the European Network of Myeloma Patient Groups, a non-profit network organisation of multiple myeloma patient groups dedicated to raising the awareness of multiple myeloma.

The study is an open-label multi dose escalation trial in relapsed and multi-resistant patients with multiple myeloma, who have failed all currently marketed drugs and have a very poor prognosis.