[Rich66]

http://www.alfacell.com/tech_platform/background.htm ONCONASE® (ranpirnase), Alfacell's flagship product, is a novel amphibian ribonuclease unique among the superfamily of pancreatic ribonuclease. ONCONASE® has demonstrated on a molecular level to re-regulate the unregulated growth and proliferation of cancer cells, as well as inhibit virus replication (e.g., HIV) in infected cells. Unlike most cancer drugs that attack all cells regardless of their phenotype (malignant vs. normal) and produce a variety of severe toxicities, ONCONASE® is not an indiscriminate cytotoxic agent. ONCONASE® affects primarily malignant exponentially growing cells, and its activity is mediated through elegant molecular mechanisms. One of the most characteristic features of cancer cells is their genetic instability and ability to develop various forms of resistance to treatment - especially to single anti-cancer agents that target the same or similar molecular targets. Tumor cells possess several redundant growth signal transduction pathways interconnected at several levels. Thus, tumor cells can quickly develop multiple "bypass" or alternative pathways of effective pro-growth and anti-apoptosis signaling that defeat the long-term therapeutic efficacy of most anti-cancer drugs. However, using combinations of agents with different mechanisms of action can minimize the development of drug resistance. By affecting multiple intracellular sites, ONCONASE® influences several functions in the tumor cell simultaneously. As such, ONCONASE® has been shown to overcome multiple drug resistance and to enhance the cytotoxicity of a variety of anti-cancer agents.

Synergies with Other Cancer Agents