A Phase 1-2 XIAP Antisense AEG35156 With Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Apoptotic induction in cancer cells is a sought after therapeutic goal. Most successful anticancer agents activate apoptosis pathways in the cancers they treat. Apoptotic pathways in cells appear to converge on a single family of enzymes, the caspases, which are proteases that dismantle the cell in an orderly, non-inflammatory fashion, resulting in cell death. The X-linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis (XIAP) is the only known cellular inhibitor of caspases, its over expression thereby blocking the principal means of apoptosis. A wide range of evidence indicates that cellular overexpression of members of the IAP family is a fundamental means by which many cancer cells evade death, even in the presence of strong extrinsic (death receptor-mediated) and intrinsic (mitochondria-mediated) apoptotic cues. The inhibition of cellular XIAP activity, specifically in cancer cells under stress and primed for apoptosis by chemotherapeutic agents, is viewed as a powerful means of tipping the balance towards cell death. In particular, XIAP down regulation has been shown to enhance taxane cytotoxicity preclinically. AEG35156 is a second generation antisense which targets XIAP mRNA to lower XIAP levels and the apoptotic threshold of cancer cells, enhancing their sensitivity to intrinsic death and chemotherapy. AEG35156 may thus enhance the anticancer activity of carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer