Researchers on Sunday presented preclinical results that showedpromising synergistic activity of Repligen's Corp.'s AM285 incombination with standard anticancer drugs.AM285 is the Cambridge, Mass., company's lead candidate from anovel class of small molecule drugs called creatine kinase (CK)modulators. The data were presented at the American Association ofCancer Research meeting in San Francisco.AM285 has been shown in in vitro and in vivo studies to regulate a cellenergy pathway that may fuel abnormal cellular proliferationassociated with cancer and other diseases. The drug modifies theactivity of CK, an enzyme that acts as a backup generator supplying theenergy needed for the uncontrollable cell division that occurs in cancerand viral infections. Repligen found that AM285 and it analogs couldprevent the activity of CK by locking the backup energy into a formthat is harder for cells to use, thus preventing progression of cancer cellgrowth.Results were presented by researchers from the Dana-Farber CancerInstitute and Repligen. Results of the in vivo study showed thatinhibition of tumor growth was greatly enhanced when AM285 wasadministered in conjunction with standard chemotherapy drugs such ascisplatin, cyclophosphamide and adriamycin.AM285 now is in Phase I clinical studies in cancer patients. _ JimShrine

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