AACR Roundup

• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Jerusalem, Israel, and OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Bothell, Wash., presented preclinical data on their investigational compound custirsen (OGX-011/TV-1011), which is being investigated in Phase III studies in castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Custirsen is designed to block production of clusterin, a cell survival protein that is over-produced in several cancer types and in response to many cancer treatments. The companies also presented data showing an inhibitory effect of custirsen on heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) in prostate cancer cells. Inhibition of HSP90 is being investigated as a strategy to treat prostate cancer, and the addition of custirsen may enhance the activity of HSP90 inhibitors.