Molecule increases TRAIL expression to fight NHL

Further testing

As a final step, Dr Talekar tested ONC201 in combination with chemotherapy drugs that are already used to treat pediatric NHL. She observed at least an additive effect, and sometimes a synergistic effect, between the drugs. The best responses occurred when she combined ONC201 with cytarabine, bortezomib, or doxorubicin.

Now, Dr Talekar is working on testing ONC201 in combination with cytarabine in a xenograft model of Burkitt lymphoma.

She noted that other in vivo research has suggested ONC201 has a “very benign safety profile.” In another poster presented at AACR 2015 (abstract 4479), researchers reported results indicating that ONC201 is safe.

“They have tested it in mice and dogs and found that, at 10-fold the therapeutic dose, you don’t see much toxicity at all,” Dr Talekar said.

ONC201 is also being tested in a phase 1 study of adults with advanced solid tumors. Phase 1 studies of the drug in relapsed or refractory NHL and relapsed or refractory acute leukemias and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes are not yet recruiting patients.