Bionomics Limited (ASX:BNO, ADR:BMICY) has revealed the U.S....

Bionomics Limited (ASX:BNO, ADR:BMICY) has revealed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted an investigational new drug application (IND) for its anti-cancer agent which targets cancer stem cells.  

This paves the way for a clinical trial in patients with metastatic colon cancer and in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer before 31 December 2015.

Bionomic's drug candidate is designed to prevent or delay tumour recurrence, and reduce cancer stem cells as a single agent and in combination with standard chemotherapy treatment.

The hypothesis is that drugs that specifically target cancer stem cells will reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and metastasis and lead to better patient outcomes.

Preclinical studies have been promising and demonstrated efficacy in models of colon, pancreatic, breast and small cell lung cancer.