LOS ANGELES, CA, USA I June 23, 2016 I Oxis International, Inc. (OTCQB: OXIS and Euronext Paris: OXI.PA), a biotechnology company focused on immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, announced today that it has begun enrolling patients in a Phase 1/Phase 2 trial of its most promising cancer drug, OXS-1550. 

The FDA-approved clinical trial is being conducted at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center under the watch of Dr. Daniel Vallera, a research scientist who developed the drug and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Oxis’ wholly owned subsidiary, Oxis Biotech Inc. 

“This is a very important milestone for Oxis,” said Anthony Cataldo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Oxis. “Moving forward with enrollment of patients will allow us to continue our momentum in the Oxis OXS-1550 Phase 1/Phase 2 FDA trial.”

OXS-1550 (DT2219ARL) is designed to target cancer cells and destroy them, while leaving healthy cells alone. When OXS-1550 binds to cancer cells, the cancer cells internalize the drug and are killed.

“We are very optimistic about OXS-1550 and believe it has the potential to be an important therapy in the treatment of cancer,” Mr. Cataldo said. 

“What sets OXS-1550 apart from other cancer treatments is its ability to target cancer cells without damaging health cells,” Vallera said. “As a result, the treatment is safer and more specific in its killing of cancer cells.” 

“We believe OXS-1550 to be a powerful alternative to existing chemotherapies, since many patients fail chemotherapy or reach the toxic limits of their therapy,” Vallera said. “I am looking forward to helping to guide Oxis into the future of targeted immunotherapy.”

Vallera, who earned a Ph.D. in immunotherapy from Ohio State University, has spent 35 years with the University of Minnesota’s cancer center, where he is director of a laboratory specializing in translational molecular cancer research.

ABOUT OXIS INTERNATIONAL, INC. – Oxis International, Inc., through a wholly owned subsidiary, Oxis Biotech, Inc., develops innovative drugs focused on the treatment of cancer and other unmet medical needs. Oxis’ lead drug candidate, OXS-1550 (DT2219ARL) is a novel bispecific scFv recombinant fusion protein-drug conjugate composed of the variable regions of the heavy and light chains of anti-CD19 and anti-CD22 antibodies and a modified form of diphtheria toxin as its cytotoxic drug payload. OXS-1550 simultaneously targets cancer cells expressing the CD19 receptor or CD22 receptor or both receptors. When OXS-1550 binds to cancer cells, the cancer cells internalize the drug and are killed due to the action of drug’s cytotoxic payload. OXS-1550 has demonstrated success in early human clinical trials in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma or leukemia. OXS-4235 is a small molecule therapeutic candidate targeting the treatment of multiple myeloma and associated osteolytic lesions. In in vitro and in vivo models of multiple myeloma and osteoporosis, OXS-4235 demonstrated the ability to kill multiple myeloma cells, and decrease osteolytic lesions in bone. OXIS’ lead drug candidate, OXS-2175, is a small molecule therapeutic candidate targeting the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In in vitro and in vivo models of TNBC, OXS-2175 demonstrated the ability to inhibit metastasis.

SOURCE: Oxis Biotech