In most patients with ovarian cancer, cancer cells develop resistance (lose sensitivity) to standard chemotherapy drugs. This is known as "chemoresistance." Chemoresistance makes it hard to successfully manage and treat cancer. Phenoxodiol has demonstrated an ability to kill cancer cells that are relatively resistant to standard chemotherapy drugs both in laboratory studies and in early stage clinical trials. Furthermore, phenoxodiol has been shown to restore the sensitivity of “carboplatin-resistant” cancer cells to carboplatin in the laboratory studies, thereby forcing the sensitized cell to die when re-exposed to carboplatin. In the laboratory studies, phenoxodiol has been shown to re-sensitize drug-resistant cells to several standard chemotherapy drugs. The ability of phenoxodiol to overcome chemoresistance is thought to be due to its potential to disrupt various resistance mechanisms that the cancer cell has developed. More information on phenoxodiol is available at www.phenoxodiol.com. In 2004, phenoxodiol received Fast Track designation by the FDA for use in combination with platinum drugs for recurrent ovarian cancer that is resistant or refractory to platinum. The Fast Track programs of the FDA allow for the expedited development of drugs that are intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and that demonstrate a potential to address unmet medical needs. |
