Aida Announces Second Anti-Cancer Drug in Development

Aida Pharmaceuticals (AIDA.OB) announced that its Shanghai Qiaer subsidiary is working on a second cancer drug, called Vasostatin-Apo2L. The compound is in pre-clinical development. It builds on the previously announced Shanghai Qiaer cancer drug, Rh-Apo2L, which causes apoptosis or cell death. Rh-Apo2L has completed Phase II clinical testing; it will file an application with the SFDA to begin a Phase III trial.

The new product is a recombinant fusion protein that integrates the function of extracted fragments of Vasostatin, an inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth, with the apoptosis function of Rh-Apo2L. Aida puts the eventual market of Vasostatin-Apo2L at 80,000 - 100,000 patients, though the company did not specify which types of cancer the drug will target.

Earlier this month, Aida announced it had begun working on a new wide-spectrum antibiotic, Wetimicin, which was discovered by its affiliate, Jiangsu Institute of Microbiology Co., Ltd. Aida’s revenues currently derive from various forms of a similar antibiotic, Etimicin Sulphate.

In addition to these two cancer drugs, Aida has three other compounds in development: two anti-cancer drugs and one compound that fights autoimmune diseases.

Disclosure: none.