Genzyme, Corp.

A. Company Profile

Genzyme (NASDAQ:GENZ) is one of the world's leading biotech companies. In 2004, Genzyme acquired ILEX Oncology to expand its oncologic program. The company's product portfolio includes innovative treatments across a wide range of therapeutic areas. There are extensive discovery and development programs in the field of oncology at Genzyme.

B. Products

1. Campath

Campath is indicated for the treatment of B cell chronic lymocytic leukemia (B-CLL) in patients who have been treated with alkylating agents and who have failed fludarabine therapy. It works in an entirely different way than chemotherapy.

Campath is an humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to a specific target, CD52, on cell surfaces leading the body's immune system to destroy malignant cells.

2. Clolar

Clolar, Clofarabine, purine nucleoside antimetablolite, is a nucleoside analog from the family of compounds that include the marketed drugs fludarabine, cladribine and gemcitabine and targets DNA and mitochondria. Clofarabine (a second generation, synthetic nucleoside) was designed to be potent, resistant to cellular inactivation, stable chemically and better tolerated than other nucleoside analogs.

Clofarabine appears to have multiple mechanisms of action, including inhibition of both DNA polymerases and ribonucleotide reductase and the induction of apoptosis. Clofarabine has shown clinical activity in leukemias, and pharmacological activity in solid tumors.

3. Tasidotin

Tasidotin is a novel tubulin-interactive agent. The agent is a synthetic dolastatin analog and has a unique mechanism of action that potentially differs from that of microtubule-stabilizers (taxanes and epothilones) and tubulin inhibitors (vinca alkaloids and other dolastatins). It has been chemically modified to provide improved pharmacological properties and is orally bioavailable with a potentially enhanced therapeutic window over earlier-generation dolastatins.