- Lead Drug Candidate from BIND's Medicinal NanoengineeringTM Platform
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BIND Biosciences announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of BIND-014 in cancer patients. BIND-014, the first product candidate to enter clinical evaluation from BIND's broad proprietary Medicinal Nanoengineering platform, is a targeted polymeric nanoparticle containing the cytotoxic agent, docetaxel. Docetaxel is the active ingredient in Taxotere®, which is approved in major cancer indications, including breast, prostate and lung. In preclinical cancer models, BIND-014 was shown to deliver up to 20 times more docetaxel to the tumor site than an equivalent dose of Taxotere. The increased accumulation of docetaxel at the site of disease in preclinical systems translated to marked improvements in antitumor activity and tolerability.
"Initiating clinical development of BIND-014, our most advanced product candidate, is an important milestone for BIND. Preclinical studies demonstrate the ability of BIND's targeted nanoparticle technology to enhance the trafficking of cytotoxic agents to cancer cells and increase efficacy, which, if confirmed in human trials, has the potential to improve outcomes for patients," said Scott Minick, President and Chief Executive Officer of BIND Biosciences. "By precisely targeting and controlling the exposure of drugs to disease sites, BIND's Medicinal Nanoengineering platform has the potential to produce drug candidates across an array of therapeutic areas including oncology, inflammatory disease and cardiovascular disorders."
The Phase 1 study has an ascending, intravenous dose design to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of BIND-014 in approximately 30 cancer patients. The primary objective of the study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of BIND-014 and to assess preliminary evidence of antitumor activity. Patients are currently being screened for eligibility in this clinical trial, which is being conducted at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare in Scottsdale, Arizona in collaboration with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute.
"The preclinical profile of BIND-014 demonstrating activity against many types of very common cancers is very encouraging," commented Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., Principal Investigator for the study and Physician in Chief and Distinguished Professor at TGen and Chief Scientific Officer for US Oncology and the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute. "My colleagues and I are excited to work with BIND in the clinical development of BIND-014 for the benefit of our patients."
About BIND-014
BIND-014 is a targeted polymeric nanoparticle containing the cytotoxic agent docetaxel (Taxotere), which is approved in major cancer indications including breast, prostate and lung. BIND-014 is targeted to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a cell surface antigen abundantly expressed on the surface of cancer cells and on new blood vessels that feed a wide array of solid tumors. In preclinical cancer models, BIND-014 was shown to deliver up to 20 times more docetaxel to tumors than an equivalent dose of Taxotere. The increased accumulation of docetaxel at the site of disease translated to marked improvements in antitumor activity and tolerability. BIND-014 is currently in Phase 1 human clinical testing in cancer patients. This first of its kind human study stems from BIND's previously published non-human studies in several peer-reviewed scientific journals. The development of BIND-014 was funded in part by the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) under its Advanced Technology Program (ATP).
About BIND Biosciences
BIND Biosciences, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary Medicinal Nanoengineering platform to produce best-in-class drugs to provide significant improvement in the treatment of patients with serious diseases. BIND's platform enables the design, engineering and manufacturing of therapeutic targeted nanoparticles with unprecedented control over drug pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and cell- or tissue-specific targeting. Medicinal Nanoengineering complements medicinal chemistry to enable predictable, cost effective and rapid development of nanoparticle therapeutics with superior efficacy and safety profiles. Product opportunities include enabling or expediting the development of pipeline molecules as well as improving performance, expanding indications or life cycle extension for mid- and late-stage products. BIND's initial product development efforts are in the areas of oncology, cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory disease and RNAi therapeutics.
BIND was founded in 2006 by two pioneers in the field of therapeutic targeted nanoparticles, Drs. Robert Langer and Omid Farokhzad. BIND is backed by leading venture capital firms, Polaris Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, NanoDimension, DHK Investments and Endeavour Vision. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.bindbio.com.
About the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare opened in 2001 as the first cancer center in the greater Phoenix area offering comprehensive cancer care and research through Phase I clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support services in collaboration with leading researchers and community oncologists. Scottsdale Healthcare is the nonprofit parent organization of the Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute and Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. For more information, visit www.shc.org.
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.