EPC2407 is a novel small molecule vascular disruption agent and apoptosis inducer for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphomas. EPC2407 has shown promising vascular targeting activity with potent anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies. The molecule has been shown to induce tumor cell apoptosis and selectively inhibit growth of proliferating cell lines, including multi-drug resistant cell lines. Murine models of human tumor xenografts demonstrated EPC2407 inhibits growth of established tumors of a number of different cancer types. Two manuscripts on this compound were published in the November 2004 issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

Pre-clinical studies suggest that the anti-tumor effects of EPC2407 may be the result of a dual mechanism, a direct effect on disruption of tumor vascular endothelial cells leading to hypoxia and central tumor necrosis, as observed with vascular disruption agents, and a second effect on tumor apoptosis.

Stage of Development

On October 8, 2007, EpiCept announced that it had completed the Phase I clinical trial for EPC2407 and that the trial met all of its objectives. EpiCept successfully identified the maximum tolerated dose of EPC2407 in the Phase I study. The maximum tolerated dose was below the dose which produced the expected toxicity based on preclinical studies at higher doses. EPC2407 was administered as a single agent in increasing doses to small cohorts of patients with advanced solid tumors. A total of seventeen patients were enrolled in the study. EpiCept intends to initiate a Phase 1B combination trial for the compound with other chemotherapeutic agents in 2008.