Radiopharmaceuticals company Cellectar Inc. has enrolled the last of eight patients in a Phase 1 trial of its cancer-treating drug candidate.
The trial is designed to measure drug safety and dosimetry of Cellectar’s lead compound, called CLR1404. Dosimetry refers to the measurement of doses, which also allows investigators to understand how a drug will affect non-tumor organs and how it clears from the body over time, according to a statement from Cellectar.
Results will be used to set the starting dose for the second Phase 1 study that’s scheduled to begin later this year. With the second Phase 1 study, Cellectar aims to determine the maximum tolerated dose in patients with advanced solid malignancies.
Cellectar says the drug has the potential to treat many cancer types, including ovarian, renal and colorectal. The company is keeping its options open regarding the type of cancer it will seek to commercialize the drug for.
Last month, the company raised $2.7 million to continue to fund drug development and clinical trials. In early 2008, the company raised $13 million in a round that was led by Venture Investors LLC, which has offices in Madison, Wis. and Ann Arbor, Mich.
The company’s radiopharmaceutical technology works by using a radioactive isotope to attach to and kill a cancerous tumor. The drug, which is injected into a patient’s body, doesn’t attach to healthy tissues.
The company’s technology is based on research conducted at the University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin.
