MKT-077, localized lipophilic cation: antitumor activity against human tumor xenografts serially transplanted into...

In in vitro experiments, the localized lipophilic cation, MKT-077, demonstrated time- and concentration-dependent antitumor activity. In the present experiment, the in vivo antitumor activity of MKT-077 was evaluated using human tumor xenografts serially transplanted into nude mice.

The antitumor efficacy of MKT-077 against five xenografts inoculated subcutaneously into nude mice was studied. Treatment with MKT-077 was initiated when the tumors started exponential growth. The antitumor activity of MKT-077 was assessed by a) the lowest value of the relative mean tumor weight of the treated:control tumors (T/CRW), where relative weight (RW) represented the change from baseline weight; and by b) the unadjusted weight of treated tumors at the end of the experiment.

When MKT-077 was administered continuously using the Osmotic Micropump, antitumor activity was positively correlated with exposure time and drug concentration from 7.5 to 40 mg/kg/day. The maximum tolerated dose was 20 mg/kg/day for 7 days. Co-4 (human colon cancer), St-4 (human gastric cancer), and CRL1420 (human pancreatic cancer) were evaluated as sensitive to MKT-077 in tested 5 strains.

The antitumor activity of MKT-077 was confirmed using human tumor xenografts in nude mice.