Clinical shows Pacritinib and EGFR Inhibitor in targeting Brain Tumor

CTI BioPharma Corp. (CTI BioPharma) (NASDAQ and MTA: CTIC) today announced findings from an investigator-sponsored preclinical study showing the potential synergistic effect of combining pacritinib, an investigational oral kinase inhibitor with specificity for JAK2, FLT3, IRAK1 and CSF1R, with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor in decreasing brain tumor initiating cells (BTIC) viability. BTICs have cancer stem cell characteristics and are believed to be responsible for disease initiation and recurrence. Additionally, high rates of mutations in BTICs may lead to the rapid emergence of resistance in GBM, the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer. "The tolerability profile of pacritinib observed in the clinic to date, along with the ability to achieve meaningful intracerebral levels in preclinical models, makes it a candidate to be explored for use in combination therapy for GBM," said Jack W. Singer, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Global Head of Translational Medicine at CTI BioPharma.