DelMar Pharmaceuticals Announces New Data Supporting the Unique Anti-cancer Mechanism of VAL-083

DelMar Pharmaceuticals (OTCQX:DMPI) announced that its collaborators from the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver Prostate Center presented results of new research related to the anti-cancer mechanism of its lead anti-cancer product candidate, VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol).
As quoted in the press release:

Abstract #2985: “Molecular mechanisms of dianhydrogalactitol (VAL-083) in cancer treatment,” is being presented during this morning’s “New Mechanisms of Anticancer Drug Action” session at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
Specifically,

• VAL-083 displayed broad anti-tumor activity against lung and prostate cancer cells;
• VAL-083 treatment causes rapid and durable DNA interstrand crosslinks leading to irreparable DNA double-strand breaks, S/G2 phase cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells; and
• This new understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying VAL-083’s anti-cancer activity offers support for effective combination therapies.

DelMar Pharmaceuticals Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Dennis Brown, stated:

Typically, a normal cell employs check-point control and DNA repair mechanisms to identify and remove DNA cross-links and double strand breaks such as those resulting from treatment with VAL-083.  However, cancer cells, by their very nature tend to have mutations or deficiencies in these mechanisms that may allow VAL-083 mediated cross-links to persist resulting in irreparable and lethal damage to the tumor cell.

DelMar Pharmaceuticals Chairman & CEO, Jeffrey Bacha, stated:

These findings are very exciting and continue to support our belief that VAL-083’s anti-cancer mechanism is unique.  Understanding where in the cell cycle VAL-083 elicits its cancer-lethal activity provides guidance in considering combination therapies.  This knowledge combined with our own and historical clinical data demonstrating activity against a number of tumors truly establishes a broad stage for the future clinical development of VAL-083.

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