EpiAxis Therapeutics expands Phase 1 metastatic breast cancer trial

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EpiAxis Therapeutics, a company spun out of the University of Canberra, has expanded its clinical trial program to include two additional recruitment centres for its Phase 1b metastatic breast cancer program.

The centres are open for patient recruitment at the Southern Medical Day Care Centre in Wollongong and the Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre at Liverpool Hospital. The principal investigators are Professor Phil Clingan and Dr Eugene Moylan.

The company said it is recruiting metastatic breast cancer patients for its novel 'proof of concept' trial in which patients will receive the standard of care chemotherapy Abraxane (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel) in combination with Nardil (phenelzine sulfate).

Nardil has been shown to inhibit lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), which EpiAxis believes is the pivotal epigenetic enzyme responsible for the proliferation of cancer stem cells (CSC).

Professor Desmond Yip and Dr Laeeq Malik are the co-coordinating chief investigators for this Phase 1b trial and are based at the Canberra Region Cancer Centre.

EpiAxis Therapeutics was founded to commercialise research from Professor Sudha Rao’s Epigenomics and Transcription Cancer Laboratory located at the University of Canberra. Professor Rao was the first to identify the pivotal role that LSD1 plays in the proliferation of CSCs.

“We are very pleased that these major NSW clinical trial centres have joined our program. This adds to our program’s credibility in many regards as well increasing our patient catchment,” said Dr Chrisp.

“This will also assist us to fast track our program and allow for a broader catchment area to be part of this important trial.”