Tasquinimod targets the tumor microenvironment and counteracts cancer development by inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis and by modulating the immune system.

[7][8][9] Collaborative studies by laboratories at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Active Biotech Research AB identified tasquinimod as the lead agent for developing a treatment for prostate cancer.

[2][10][11] Tasquinimod was one of several second-generation quinoline-3-carboxamide variants synthesized using the drug roquinimex as a starting point, and it performed well in pre-clinical studies of cancer models.

[2][13] A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II study comparing tasquinimod with placebo in 206 men with metastatic CRPC was completed in 2009.

[9] Analysis of up to 3 years of safety data from phase II studies showed that treatment-related adverse events were mild to moderate, manageable and less frequent after 2 months of therapy.

[7] A phase III randomized controlled trial called 10TASQ10[6] to confirm tasquinimod’s effect on disease progression is ongoing.