AngioChem's drug delivery technology appears safe

AngioChem has claimed that the lead candidate using its propriety technology for crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is safe and well tolerated. The product, ANG1005, which is currently undergoing Phase I and II studies, uses a peptide vector, Angiopep, to transport paclitaxel across the BBB.

ANG1005 consists of Angiopep conjugated to three paclitaxel molecules, which exhibited a transport rate that was 50 to 80 times greater than when the anti-cancer drug was administered alone.

Dr Jean-Paul Castaigne, CEO, AngioChem, said, ''Our platform Angiopep vector technology is able to deliver not only paclitaxel to target brain cells but also any other type of drug, including peptides, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) siRNAs and other biologicals. We believe our Angiopep technology has the ability to transport these drug candidates across the blood-brain barrier, thus treat many diseases of the central nervous system.''

Angiopep could be used in the treatment of numerous diseases. The BBB hinders the treatment of ailments including Alzheimer's disease, brain cancer and psychiatric disorders.