San Antonio, TX - October 12, 1998 -- BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a key scientific publication in the October issue of the journal Seminars in Oncology which describes the discovery and mechanism of action of a new non-toxic, second-generation platinum protecting agent, known as BNP7787, which appears to substantially reduce the toxicity of platinum-type anticancer drugs, such as cisplatin and carboplatin.

Cisplatin and carboplatin are widely used in the treatment of a variety of common cancers including small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian, head and neck, and bladder cancer and many other tumors. However, the administration of cisplatin and carboplatin frequently results in clinically important toxicities, including kidney toxicity, vomiting, and bone marrow toxicity, that pose certain risks and adversely affect the quality of life of patients. BioNumerik investigators began their discovery efforts in this area with the idea that if it were possible to safely increase the total dose or the dose frequency of platinum drugs, this would lead to an increase in tumor response rates and could result in a substantial patient benefit. To date, several platinum protecting agents have been developed by others, but all have suffered from the problem of trading a reduction in platinum-associated drug toxicities for newly-introduced toxicities of their own.

The Seminars in Oncology paper, titled "Modulation of Platinum-Induced Toxicities and Therapeutic Index: Mechanistic Insights and First- and Second-Generation Protecting Agents," authored by Dr. Frederick H. Hausheer, et al., describes new information regarding the chemical basis for the antitumor and toxicologic effects associated with the administration of platinum-type drugs. BioNumerik's chemical, pharmacological and toxicological data, combined with that of other studies, suggest that nearly all of the major clin
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Contact: Neil Cohen
neil@noonanrusso.com
415-677-4455
Noonan/Russo Communications
13-Oct-1998