QLT Begins Phase III Trials of Tariquidar, a P-gp Inhibitor

VANCOUVER, Canada—QLT Inc. has begun patient enrollment for two phase III clinical trials using tariquidar as an adjunctive treatment in combination with first-line chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer patients, the company said in a press announcement. Approximately 1,000 patients will be enrolled at 100 centers throughout North America and Europe. The trials are designed to demonstrate the ability of tariquidar to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy agents by preventing or overcoming resistance due to overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a membrane protein that pumps chemotherapeutic agents out of cancer cells.