Vascular disruption is a new approach to a validated therapeutic strategy: depriving tumors and, in the case of eye disease, pathologic neovascular lesions, of blood supply.

In solid tumors, vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) such as ZYBRESTAT and OXi4503 cause tumor cell death by rapidly reducing blood-flow to the tumor, thereby depriving it of oxygen and nutrients required for survival.

The disruption of newly formed blood vessels caused by VDAs contrasts with the action of anti-angiogenic therapies, which are designed to prevent formation of new blood vessels.

In addition, there is a strong scientific rationale for combining VDA and anti-angiogenesic therapies. Preclinical study results published by OXiGENE and its scientific collaborators have shown that OXiGENE VDAs work synergistically in combination with certain anti-angiogenic drugs (i.e., monoclonal antibodies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF) to produce anti-tumor effects.

Watch a video how ZYBRESTAT (fosbretabulin) works