TH-302 is designed to target the hypoxic regions of tumors which are generally located distant from tumor vessels. Pemetrexed has poor tissue penetration and targets the regions of tumors that are located in proximity to the tumor vessels. The presence of hypoxia in solid tumors is associated with a more malignant phenotype and resistance to chemotherapy. The hypoxia-activated prodrug, TH-302, is designed to selectively target the hypoxic microenvironment. There is evidence supporting the presence of hypoxia in NSCLC lesions based on a hypoxia PET study. Combining pemetrexed with TH-302 may enable the targeting of both the normoxic and hypoxic regions of NSCLC lesions.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether TH-302 in combination with pemetrexed is safe and effective in the treatment of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.