Press Room

Background, News, and Updates

CTI Quick Facts

Founded: 1991
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Italian branch in Bresso (Milan), Italy
Stock: NASDAQ, MTA: CTIC
President and CEO: James A. Bianco, M.D., CEO,
Craig W. Philips, President
Website: www.CellTherapeutics.com
Subsidiaries: Systems Medicine LLC
Scottsdale, Arizona

Aequus BioPharma, Inc.
Bainbridge Island, Washington

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel agents that improve the safety and efficacy of existing standard-of-care chemotherapies, and those with unique, new mechanisms to kill cancer cells. We use genomic information to determine which tumors have the greatest chance of responding favorably to a specific drug candidate. This has the potential to change the way anti-cancer drugs are developed, by allowing investigators to pick the right drug for individual patients.

We have one product on the market, two product candidates in phase III clinical development, one in phase II clinical development, and preclinical product candidates that may address the therapeutic limitations of conventional cancer therapies. Our capabilities span drug discovery, development, and commercialization.

Marketed Product

Please see the Zevalin® (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan) press kit for details.

Clinical Development Products

Pixantrone (pick-san-trone) (BBR 2778) is a new chemical compound being developed for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and various other hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and immunological disorders. It is being developed to improve the activity and safety in treating cancers usually treated with the anthracycline family of anti-cancer agents. It is currently in clinical development to treat NHL.

OPAXIO™ (Oh-packs-ee-oh) (paclitaxel poliglumex, CT-2103; formerly known as XYOTAX) is a biologically enhanced chemotherapeutic that links paclitaxel to a biodegradable polyglutamate polymer, resulting in a new chemical entity. OPAXIO was designed to improve the delivery of paclitaxel to tumor tissue while protecting normal tissue from toxic side effects.

Currently, we are studying OPAXIO in pivotal trials for non-small cell lung and ovarian cancers.

In March 2008, we submitted and the EMEA accepted a marketing authorization application (MAA) seeking European approval for OPAXIO on equivalent effectiveness (non-inferiority) and improved safety as a single-agent in first-line PS2 NSCLC patients.

Brostallicin (bräst-al-iss-in) is a small molecule, anti-cancer drug with a novel and unique mechanism of action and excellent long-term patent protection. Data in more than 200 patients treated in phase I/II clinical trials reveal evidence of activity in patients with refractory cancer and patient/physician-friendly dosage and administration. Brostallicin may ultimately be useful in combination with standard chemotherapy and newer, targeted cancer therapies.

Brostallicin is currently in phase II clinical trials versus doxorubicin as first-line single-agent chemotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. In late 2007, we also initiated a phase II trial of brostallicin for the treatment of myxoid liposarcoma.