OGX-427 Zytiga Combo

OGX-427 is an antisense oligonucleotide that inhibits HSP-27 production and this new drug is being trialed in combination with Zytiga. Antisense oligonucleotides are space age technology that directly silence specific regions of DNA. In this way the technology can in principle be applied to silencing any protein of choice. This drug targets inhibition of production of HSP-27 a chaperone protein involved in the function of other important kinase enzymes involved in tumour cell proliferation. However there are many unanswered questions with regards to the antisense oligonucleotide approach in general, such as its efficacy and toxicity. Moreover the benefits of HSP-27 inhibition in the treatment of cancer have not been proven and the results of this clinical trial will be interesting.