Seliciclib -CYC202- Shown to Kill Myeloma Cells

Cyclacel, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company, announced at the American Society for Hematology (ASH) meeting that seliciclib (CYC202 or R-roscovitine) killed multiple myeloma cancer cells by causing them to commit suicide. Seliciclib is Cyclacel's leading Cyclin Dependent Kinase (CDK) inhibitor drug.

Researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School reported their findings that seliciclib had potent cytotoxic effects against nine different multiple myeloma cell lines removed from patients with multiple myeloma that were both sensitive and resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The drug appeared to induce myeloma cells to commit suicide through apoptosis by blocking the production of a protein that is required for cancer cell survival. The investigators concluded that their study provided pre-clinical support for a clinical trial of seliciclib, either alone or in combination with other agents with the objective of improving patient outcomes in multiple myeloma.

Seliciclib is currently in Phase II clinical trials as a single therapy in multiple myeloma as well as two other B-cell hematological malignancies: B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (B-CLL) and Mantle Cell Lymphoma.