DENVER, June 12 (UPI) -- x Ceragenix said Monday data from a German study show a drug it is testing for bladder cancer significantly stops cancer growth.
The company said the lab study -- conducted at the German-based Urology Clinic of the University of the Saarlandes -- showed the new compound inhibited bladder-cancer growth with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Ceragenix said it would conduct animal studies within the next few months to determine the compound's efficacy.
If these studies prove successful, the company said it would seek a marketing partner to commercialize the drug.
Ceragenix said the drug is one of a class of small-molecule compounds it is developing that mimic the activity of the naturally occurring peptides found in the body's immune system.
"Small peptides represent a promising new group of compounds in the fight against cancer. Of particular interest are naturally occurring peptides that have antimicrobial activity, many of which also have anti-tumor activity," said Ceragenix Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven Porter. "Our compounds, while mimicking the activity of naturally occurring peptides are simpler to manufacture and are not subject to protease degradation."
Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, with more than 50,000 cases diagnosed each year and more than 12,000 people dying from the disease, Ceragenix said.
Currently, more than 600,000 people in the United States have bladder cancer, the company added, which it said has a 70-percent recurrence rate.
