Cristal Therapeutics starts clinical Phase I trial with nanomedicine CriPec docetaxel in patients with solid tumours

The CriPec platform allows for the rational design of custom-made nanomedicines for controlled release of the drug at the desired site of action resulting in an improved efficacy and tolerability.

Cristal Therapeutics has announced the recent start of a clinical Phase I trial with its lead candidate CriPec docetaxel in patients with solid tumours. For this trial, patients are being recruited in two clinical centres in The Netherlands and in Belgium. The first trial data will be available in the course of Q2 2016.

Cristal Therapeutics has developed a pioneering approach to transform existing drugs against cancer, like docetaxel, and other diseases, into tailor-made nanoparticles via its proprietary polymeric technology, registered as CriPec. The CriPec platform allows for the rational design of custom-made nanomedicines for controlled release of the drug at the desired site of action resulting in an improved efficacy and tolerability.

CriPec docetaxel is Cristal Therapeutics’ lead candidate in development and represents a novel treatment approach of solid tumours. CriPec docetaxel successfully passed various pre-clinical studies, demonstrating a significantly improved safety and tolerability profile. Current docetaxel-containing products often have limited efficacy, and prolongation of survival comes with a high incidence of adverse events. This imposes major limitations on the current therapy. CriPec nanoparticles accumulate in tumour tissue, resulting in a significantly higher CriPec docetaxel exposure of the tumour, thereby overcoming drawbacks of conventional docetaxel therapies

Joost Holthuis, CEO of Cristal Therapeutics says: “We are very excited about the start of the clinical Phase I trial. The outcome of our pre-clinical program has been very encouraging and highlights the clinical potential of CriPec docetaxel. We are looking forward to advance this compound quickly into the Phase I- Part II trial that is expected to start next year. If successful, this will enable chemotherapy to be applied more effectively, with fewer adverse events, which is in the interest of patients with solid tumours worldwide.”