Singapore: Australia-based Starpharma Holdings has achieved improved tumor-inhibiting efficacy and reduced overall toxicity using a dendrimer enhanced version of the blockbuster cancer drug, Eloxatin (Oxaliplatin).

These positive results were demonstrated in a pre-clinical study, which examined dendrimer-enhanced nanoparticle versions of oxaliplatin when compared with Eloxatin in a colon cancer model (xenograft).

Oxaliplatin is sold as Eloxatin by Sanofi and achieved sales of approximately $2 billion in 2012. It is primarily used to treat colon and colorectal cancer. Bone marrow toxicities, including the serious white blood cell disorder, neutropenia, are reported in a high proportion of patients receiving Oxaliplatin, with rates in excess of 70 percent.

The observation that Starpharma's dendrimer-enhanced oxaliplatin nanoparticles substantially reduced neutropenia, a life threatening and dose-limiting toxicity, is an important finding both for this drug candidate and also for Starpharma's platform more broadly.

“These are impressive results, that demonstrate Starpharma's dendrimer technology can be used to both enhance the efficacy and improve the safety profile of oxaliplatin, a widely used cancer treatment,” said Starpharma CEO Dr Jackie Fairley. Dendrimer-enhanced oxaliplatin is being developed as part of Starpharma's internal drug delivery program.