Tamir Biotechnology
Tamir Biotechnology, Inc., is the name of a company founded as Alfacell Corporation in the early 1980s to develop drugs to help cure cancer, including rare mesothelioma cancer. Over the past three decades, the company has performed numerous clinical trials for cancer treatments, most of them to test its cancer drug, Onconase. An experimental drug, Onconase is effective in targeting cancerous growth while not harming normal, healthy cells.
Kuslima Shogen formed Alfacell in 1981 in New Jersey while studying biology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She was one of the first women to found and lead a biotechnology company and has been lauded for her efforts. In fact, her pharmaceutical contributions led to her being named one of PharmaVOICE's top 100 Most Inspiring People. Shogen was guided to form Alfacell after her university research showed that a certain protein may help inhibit solid tumor growth. Alfacell was a way for Shogen to continue researching her findings.
To learn more about Tamir Biotechnology and other cancer medication companies, ask for the Mesothelioma Center's free informational packet. It breaks down treatment breakthroughs and can help you decide which options are right for you.
Tamir Biotechnology and Cancer Research
Since its inception, Tamir has studied the protein naturally found in leopard frog eggs. Laboratory tests found the protein targets cancer cells and triggers their natural death while leaving healthy cells untouched. This naturally occurring protein provided the basis of Onconase, also known as ranpirnase. Although still not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Onconase shows promise and remains Tamir's lead investigational drug.
In one trial, the drug was successful in making lung cancer cells more sensitive to radiation. So, radiation therapy was much more effective in patients who had received the drug. These patients had a greater delay in tumor growth and did not experience any extra negative results. The drug has shown to be similarly effective in other cancers such as breast cancer, leukemia and renal cell carcinoma. It has shown the most promise in targeting mesothelioma cancer cells.
In early 2011, Tamir Biotechnology suspended its Phase II trial of Onconase for non-small cell lung cancer. The halt came in large part because of positive results in vivo studies related to Yellow fever, Dengue fever, SARs, CMV and HPV. The company decided to re-focus its efforts on that development. That decision is part of a number of recent changes in the company.
Tamir Biotechnology History
Shogen was chief executive officer of Alfacell until 2009 when the company was sold. Today, the company is headed by Charles Muniz. Alfacell was renamed Tamir Biotechnology in 2011, among financial troubles.
Throughout its history, Tamir focused on new cancer treatments. Its research centered on RNA interference (RNAi), which aims to regulate the growth of cancerous cells and the spread of viruses by manipulating which genes are active or inactive within a cell. The company has performed numerous clinical trials in the United States and abroad.
The company sent four of its drug compounds - P31, rAmphinase 2, natural Amphinase 3 and Onconase) to the National Cancer Institute for a screening study. Results from that study, which looked at five dosage levels, prompted a recommendation that more clinical and pre-clinical studies. Tamir is seeking money to continue these evaluations.
Of the compounds tested Onconase has shown to be effective in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Onconase has also proved an effective drug for some people who are fighting lung cancer, breast cancer and leukemia, although mesothelioma cancer is the primary disease for which is it taken. However, the company's unsure financial footing leaves its continued mesothelioma research in doubt.
Consistent Financial Losses by Tamir Biotechnology
In a quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2011, Tamir acknowledged consistent financial losses throughout its history. Tamir reported a $14.2 million annual loss in July 2011, leading to the suspension of some research efforts. It acknowledges these losses as a growing concern.
Learn More about Clinical Trials
If you've been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, participating in a clinical trial can grant you access to the best up-and-coming treatment options. Clinical trials such as Tamir's are conducted in every state. For help finding a clinical trial near you, complete the form on our Clinical Trial page.
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