Therapure Innovations, a division of Therapure Biopharma Inc., received approval from the FDA to proceed with a Phase I trial of TBI 302, a targeted therapeutic for the treatment of liver cancer. The Phase 1 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of TBI 302 following administration to patients with advanced liver cancer.
 
TBI 302 is the first drug from Therapure’s targeted drug delivery platform. It leverages the natural clearance pathway of hemoglobin predominantly through the liver. TBI 302 consists of the chemotherapy drug floxuridine attached to hemoglobin, which serves as the drug carrier and targeting agent, sparing other tissues from the toxicity of chemotherapy exposure.
  
“This technology addresses an area of unmet medical need that may provide a means to specifically deliver an active therapeutic to the site of the cancer and potentially provide a direct benefit to patients,” said Dr. David Bell, vice president and chief scientific officer of Therapure. “Our company has extensive experience working with blood proteins and hemoglobin in particular, so we’re excited to see this innovative product moving into the clinic.”