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your homegrown newspaper August 21, 2024
Vol. 20, No. 49
Drug developed at UM moves to cancer patient trials News from UM News Service
Spay / neuter pg. 6
Redband return pg. 8
Drought resilience pg. 12
MISSOULA — A compound discovered by the University of Montana Center for Translational Medicine has started Phase I clinical trials with cancer patients. The center’s partner in the effort is Inimmune Corp., a Missoula-based biotechnology company. Jay Evans, a UM researcher and director of the center, said reaching human clinical trials is a milestone for the University and highlights the importance of research at UM. “Since we joined UM in 2016, it’s been our goal to advance UM research discoveries to treatments that can be safely used in people,” Dr. Evans said. “The transition from pre-clinical to clinical stage of drug development is challenging, and it’s been great to partner with a local Missoula company and advance a university-discovered technology to human clinical trials.” The first in-human
UM PHOTO BY TOMMY MARTINO
A compound discovered by UM researcher Jay Evans and his colleagues soon will begin human trials with cancer patients in Australia.
trial of the drug, INI4001, will take place in Australia. The compound will be delivered via IV to patients with advanced solid tumors. Evans said INI-4001 stimulated the
immune system to fight cancer in previous studies using animal models. The first human trials are an ascending-dose study, meaning the dosage starts low and is slowly inw w w.va l le yj our na l.net
creased to evaluate safety and tolerability. “INI-4001 is a novel compound that may benefit patients with many different types of cancer, without the usual side
effects of traditional cancer therapy,” said Dr. Jon Ruckle, Inimmune’s chief medical officer. “The start of this clinical trial in see page 2