EXPERIMENTAL ANTITUMOR-ACTIVITY OF S-16020-2 IN A PANEL OF HUMAN TUMORS

The antitumour activity of S 16020-2, a new topoisomerase II inhibitor , was evaluated in comparison with doxorubicin against 13 human tumour s, including colon (HT-29, Colo320DM), breast (MCF7, MDAMB-231), ovary (SK-OV-3, A2780, NIH:OVCAR-3), non-small cell lung (NCI-H460, A549, C alu-6, NCI-H125) and small-cell lung (NCI-H69, SCLC6) cancers. S 16020 -2 was administered weekly intravenous within a dose range of 20-90 mg /kg for 3 weeks. Antitumour responses were obtained in all the tumour types tested except in the two colon cancers. S 16020-2 produced signi ficant growth delays in nine tumour models and induced regressions of all A549 lung tumours. The antitumour activity of S 16020-2 was superi or to that of doxorubicin against the NCI-H460, A549, NCI-H69, SCLC6 a nd NIH:OVCAR-3 xenografts. These results demonstrate the broad spectru m of antitumour activity of S 16020-2 in a large panel of in vivo expe rimental models and confirm its interest as a potential agent in the t reatment of malignant disease. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.