e-Therapeutics (LON:ETX) said it had passed an “important milestone” as it recruited its first patient to its phase Ib clinical programme investigating the potential of its lead cancer drug candidate ETS2101.
The person, who has been recently diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, is receiving the compound in combination with sorafenib, which is currently used on its own to combat the disease.
The phase Ib clinical study of ETS2101 is aimed at assessing the safety and tolerability of the drug, although researchers will be monitoring for signs of anti-tumour activity.
e-Therapeutics also intends to use ETS2101 to treat patients newly-diagnosed with the pancreatic cancer in combination with chemotherapy. It may also be used on its own for HCC and pancreatic cancer.
e-Therapeutics director Steve Self said: "This marks an important milestone for ETS2101 as its development programme begins to explore aspects of this agent's activity in specific cancer indications, alongside further aspects of dosing and safety.
“This study is directed towards further clinical development of the compound and will inform our understanding of the drug in this therapeutic area."