What are the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors?
Marimastat is one, a compound made by Bayer, Bayer 12-9566 is one, and another compound made by Ageron, AG-340. The first and last ones are still in testing. We’ll cover a little bit about the middle one and then a little bit about the other two as well. This is actually data from the Bayer company in phase I trials. Patients who were treated with the Bayer drug, Bayer 12-9566, and Johns Hopkins participated in this phase I trial. Remember, patients with a whole variety of diseases will go on matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors in phase I trials. Look at the number of days patients were on these compounds. One patient who went on this trial was on for over a year. She was a lady who had very bulky ovarian cancer. She had a slight response but no disease progression for over a year. Certainly, that’s prompted a lot of interest in the Bayer compound in ovarian cancer.
