Abbott to Present Data on Novel Cancer Treatments

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Posted on Thu, May. 15, 2008

Abbott to Present Data on Novel Cancer Treatments at American Society of

Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting

Abbott

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., May 15 -- Abbott scientists will highlight the latest

clinical trial data of several investigative compounds in the company's oncology

pipeline at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual

Meeting, scheduled for May 30 in Chicago. The presentations include ABT-263, a

Bcl-2 family protein antagonist, and ABT-869, an oral small molecule that

provides simultaneously potent and specific inhibition of the VEGFR and PDGFR

families. Both compounds were discovered by Abbott scientists and are being

co-developed by Abbott and Genentech. The company's meeting abstracts are

available online today at http://www.asco.org .

By targeting a key survival mechanism of cancer cells, Abbott scientists

identified ABT-263 as a potent inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins. The Bcl-2

family proteins regulate apoptosis (programmed cell death), the natural process

by which damaged or unwanted cells die and are cleared from the body. When this

process is defective, damaged cells can continue to divide, leading to the

formation and growth of tumors. Preclinical studies showed promising activity

against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lymphomas and small cell lung cancer

-- Phase I/II trials are currently underway in these diseases.