Race Oncology Opens First Australian Clinical Site for RC220 Phase 1 Trial
- StockSurge Team
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Race Oncology (ASX: RAC) has announced the activation of the first Australian clinical site for its Phase 1 trial of RC220, an innovative anticancer therapy with potential cardioprotective benefits. The Southside Cancer Care Centre in Miranda, New South Wales, has received governance approval and is now open for patient enrolment.
This milestone follows key regulatory steps, including human ethics approval granted in March and a successful site initiation. The trial, which will assess RC220 in combination with the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin, aims to determine safety, pharmacokinetics, and the maximum tolerated combined dose (MTCD). Additionally, it will explore the therapy’s impact on m6A RNA, a pathway implicated in cancer progression.
The study is designed as an open-label, multi-site trial, with patient enrolment also planned across Hong Kong and South Korea. Up to 33 patients with advanced solid tumours will participate in the initial dose-escalation phase, with an additional 20 patients to be enrolled after interim analysis. The study’s Bayesian design will allow for adaptive dosing, potentially accelerating the path to clinical insights.
A New Approach to Cancer Treatment
RC220 is a reformulated version of bisantrene, a chemotherapy drug with a well-characterized safety profile and a history of clinical use. Race Oncology is developing RC220 to improve doxorubicin-based therapy by reducing cardiotoxicity, a major concern for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Preclinical studies suggest that RC220 enhances doxorubicin’s cancer-fighting properties. A meta-analysis conducted by Race Oncology found doxorubicin alone achieves response rates of up to 35% in various cancers, including breast, lung, ovarian, and prostate. The company’s preclinical research indicates that RC220 boosts doxorubicin’s efficacy in 85% of the 143 cancer cell lines tested. If these findings translate into clinical benefits, RC220 could represent a significant breakthrough in chemotherapy regimens.
Industry Collaboration and Future Prospects
The trial is being conducted in collaboration with global contract research organization George Clinical and the Cancer Care Foundation (CCF).
“I am proud of the hard work and dedication from the Race clinical team, George Clinical, and CCF in reaching this point,” said Race Oncology CEO Dr. Daniel Tillett. “I look forward to soon treating the first patient with RC220 and beginning the process of advancing RC220 as a potential new treatment able to improve cancer therapy while protecting patients from the serious side effects of cancer treatment.”
Race Oncology stated that it is actively seeking partnerships and licensing opportunities to accelerate RC220’s development. The company has collaborated with leading research institutions, including MD Anderson, City of Hope, and the University of Newcastle, and remains open to commercial agreements that could expedite patient access to the drug.
