Syntrix Pharmaceuticals has completed initial SX-682 dosing in Phase 1/2 trials in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and metastatic melanoma. The drug was well tolerated and absorbed with excellent dose-proportional drug levels in blood. The trials are being conducted at the Moffitt Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic and the University of Rochester.

SX-682 is the company's lead drug from its tumor-microenvironment (TME) discovery platform targeting key molecular pathways cancer uses to shield itself from immune attack.

Additional Phase 1/2 trials are now also opening for SX-682 in pancreatic cancer at the University of Rochester, in colorectal cancer at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and in advanced tumors including breast and head and neck cancers at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

"The CXCR1/2 pathway blocked by SX-682 suppresses anti-tumor immunity," said John Zebala, MD, PhD, president at Syntrix. "Patients with low CXCR1/2 activity survive significantly longer compared to patients with high activity. We are hopeful the same effect can be achieved by pharmacologically blocking the pathway with SX-682. We believe the breadth of the SX-682 clinical program positions it for major read-outs."

ABOUT SX-682: SX-682 is a clinical-stage oral allosteric small-molecule inhibitor of CXCR1 and CXCR2 (CXCR1/2). CXCR1/2 is a "master switch" of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In patients there is an inverse correlation between CXCR1/2 activation and survival. SX-682 has been validated in major tumor models where it exhibits mono-agent activity, extends survival, blocks metastasis, activates infiltration and killing by immune effector cells, and enhances cancer checkpoint and cell therapies.