Phase II Trial of KRX-0401 for Refractory Myeloma Begins

NEW YORK-Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. has initiated a clinical program to evaluate KRX-0401 (perifosine) for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The multicenter open-label phase II study initiated on January 3, led by Paul Richardson, MD, clinical director of the Jerome Lipper Myeloma Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will examine the agent alone and in combination with dexamethasone for patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma. Perifosine is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that modulates AKT and a number of key signal transduction pathways, including MAPK and JNK. It is the prototype of a new group of anticancer drugs referred to as alkylphosphocholines that block proliferation and induce apoptosis of cancer cells, the company said in a news release.