Blaze Bioscience announces open enrollment for Phase 1 clinical trial of Tumour Paint BLZ-100 in children with brain cancer

Blaze Bioscience, a biotechnology company focused on guided cancer therapy, has announced open enrollment for the first clinical study of Tumour Paint BLZ-100 in children with brain cancer.

The study, entitled ‘A Phase 1 dose-escalation and expansion study of BLZ-100 in paediatric subjects with primary central nervous system tumours’, will be conducted at Seattle Children’s Hospital under the direction of principal investigator Dr Sarah Leary.

BLZ-100 is the first product candidate from Blaze’s Tumour Paint platform and consists of an Optide (optimised peptide) which binds and internalises into cancer cells and a fluorescent dye which emits light in the near-infrared range. Tumour Paint products are designed to provide real-time high-resolution intraoperative visualization of cancer cells enabling more precise complete resection of cancer throughout surgery.

Phase 1 trial of BLZ-100 will enrol up to 27 patients

The Phase 1 trial which is operating under the Company’s open Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will enrol up to twenty-seven (27) patients from infants through young adults under age 30 who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour and will evaluate the safety and imaging characteristics of BLZ-100.

“We are very excited to advance the development of Tumour Paint BLZ-100 into paediatric brain cancer—a serious and rare disease that represents the most common solid tumour type within the paediatric population” said Senior Vice President of Development, Dennis Miller, Ph.D. “Initiation of this study is an important milestone for the Tumour Paint platform.”

“Since the beginning the Blaze team has been inspired by the needs of children with brain cancer and their families. Tumour Paint technology was envisioned and invented by our co-founder Dr Jim Olson who was driven by the needs of his paediatric brain cancer patients at Seattle Children’s. A paediatric brain cancer study has always been a goal of ours and to have it conducted at Seattle Children’s is deeply gratifying” said Heather Franklin, co-founder, CEO and Executive Chair of Blaze Bioscience. “We would also like to thank Gateway for Cancer Research for making this trial possible by providing a grant to Seattle Children’s.”