Racura Oncology (ASX:RAC) has reached a key clinical milestone with the successful dosing of a patient in Hong Kong, marking both geographic expansion and the completion of the first cohort in its early-stage trial of RC220, a candidate designed to deliver both anticancer activity and cardioprotection.
The Sydney-based company confirmed that a third patient has now been treated in its Phase 1 CPACS trial for advanced solid tumours at Queen Mary Hospital.
The treatment was administered under the supervision of Principal Investigator Dr Roland Ching Yu Leung, and, importantly, no safety concerns were observed following dosing at 40mg per square metre. According to the company, “No phlebitis (vein inflammation) or any other adverse events were reported following dosing.”
This latest step builds on earlier treatments conducted in Australia and completes recruitment for the initial dose cohort. Across all patients treated so far, the safety profile has remained encouraging. The company stated that “To date, no dose-limiting toxicities have been observed in any patient in the study.”
With the first cohort now fully enrolled, attention turns to the next phase of the study. A Safety Review Committee will assess accumulated data from the initial patients before approving escalation to a higher dose level. If cleared, the trial will proceed to 80mg per square metre using an updated protocol introduced in February 2026.
Chief Executive Officer Daniel Tillett framed the development as a meaningful inflection point for the program. “The safe dosing of the third patient in our RC220 solid tumour trial in Hong Kong and recruitment of the first dose escalation cohort is an important milestone for Racura Oncology. We are grateful to all the patients, investigators, and clinical teams who have made this trial possible and we look forward to treating patients on the updated protocol.”
The CPACS trial is designed to evaluate both the anticancer potential of RC220 and its ability to protect the heart when used alongside doxorubicin, a widely used chemotherapy known for its cardiotoxicity risks. In its first stage, the study is enrolling up to 33 patients to determine safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and the maximum tolerated combined dose. Researchers are also tracking biomarkers, including a blood-based measure linked to the drug’s cardioprotective mechanism.
A second stage will expand the evaluation to an additional 20 patients, focusing on refining dosage and identifying early signals of both efficacy and cardiac protection. The trial uses a Bayesian design, enabling adaptive decision-making and potentially faster progression through dose levels.
Conducted as an open-label study across Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea, the program is structured to generate early insights quickly. Racura has indicated it will provide regular updates as the trial progresses, although it will not disclose results at the individual-patient level.