Glenmark Pharma said it had received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct phase 1 clinical trials of its molecule, GRC 54276, on patients with advanced solid tumours. GRC 54276 is one of the many novel molecules from Glenmark’s Innovative Medicines Group, specialising in developing unknown molecular entities for critical unmet medical needs.

The Pharma company said that GRC 54276 had shown tumour cell killing ability in preclinical studies as a single agent and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, making it a high-priority target in immuno-oncology. The study will assess the safety and tolerability of GRC 54276 as a monotherapy and also in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced solid tumours, it added. The company also said that it would initiate Phase 1 clinical trial in India by June 2022 and also plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in the US and clinical trial applications in Europe to launch a global clinical study programme.

“We are pleased to know that our first novel molecule from the ‘Innovative Medicines Group’ has received approval from DCGI for a Phase 1 clinical trial. This shows Glenmark’s abilities of innovative clinical research and providing holistic solutions for cancer treatment,” Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Chairman & Managing Director Glenn Saldanha said.