ADHEREX TECHNOLOGIES (ADH) develops cancer treatments. Its technology is based on disrupting cadherins, proteins that adhere together in cell adhesion. Products in clinical stage of development, include ADH-1, which selectively targets N-cadherin, a protein present on certain tumor cells and established blood vessels that feed solid tumors. Eniluracil, an oral dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) inhibitor was previously under development by GlaxoSmithKline (See below) for oncology indications. STS, which protects against hearing loss that can often result from treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy drugs. Website www.adherex.com.

GSK's clinical development program for the combination of 5-FU and eniluracil met with success in early development. However, Phase 3 trials failed and development was stopped by GSK. Adherex hypothesized that the reason for the failure of the Phase 3 trials was an unexpected dose and schedule dependent drug interaction that resulted in the inhibition of 5-FU's activation into an effective anticancer agent. Adherex's preclinical and clinical results to date have supported this hypothesis.