Pixantrone

We are developing pixantrone (pick-san-trone), a novel anthracycline derivative, for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and various other hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and immunological disorders. It was developed to improve the activity and safety of the anthracycline family of anti-cancer agents.

Anthracyclines have been shown to be very active clinically in a number of tumor types, such as lymphoma, leukemia, and breast cancer. For these diseases, anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens are effective in first-line (initial) treatment.

However, the cardiac toxicity of anthracyclines prevents their use in combination with other drugs that also can cause cardiac toxicity. They have been shown to cause cumulative heart damage, putting patients at risk of congestive heart failure. As a result, patients who previously have been treated with an anthracycline at the maximum dose are not normally eligible to receive additional anthracycline treatment if their disease returns.

Pixantrone has been designed to reduce the potential for these severe cardiotoxicities, as well as to potentially increase activity and simplify administration compared to the currently marketed anthracyclines. Pixantrone could allow repeat therapy in relapsed patients and combination therapy with a broader range of chemotherapies. Pixantrone also is easier to administer than traditional anthracyclines because it is non-toxic to tissues and can be administered through a peripheral vein, eliminating the need for a central line.

Potential clinical use for pixantrone includes:

• Patients with prior exposure to anthracyclines
• Patients with non-anthracycline-induced cardiac disorders
• Patients who might benefit from longer-term anthracycline therapy than can be administered with currently approved agents

Pixantrone in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Clinical Trials

Pixantrone has been studied in both indolent and aggressive NHL. The drug has demonstrated encouraging activity as a single agent in aggressive NHL, and recent clinical results suggest the compound also may be synergistic with other agents commonly used in combination therapy.

The FDA has granted fast track designation to pixantrone for the treatment of relapsed aggressive NHL and relapsed indolent NHL.

See our pixantrone fact sheet for detail on pixantrone clinical trials.

Pixantrone Resources

•	Pixantrone Fact Sheet (370k PDF)
•	Pixantrone References (31k PDF)