Further Antitumoral Tests at the Animal Level

As soon as our preliminary results on P388, L1210 and B16 tumors were announced in the literature the E.O.R.T.C. (European Organisation for Research on Treatment of Cancer) decided to include N3P3AZg in its 1978-1980 plan for testing many new animal (mice and/or rats) tumors. At that time (May 1978), we had to provide a code name for this new anticancer drug MYKO 63 was chosen because of the striking similarity between the X-ray crystal structure of this compound and the 

From Laboratoire Structure et vie, Toulouse University and from EORTC (Manchester and Milan Laboratories).  

MYKONOS wind-mills (see below) the first figure refers to the munt r of atoms within the phosphazenic ring (6 = N3P3, 8 = N P ) and the second figure is connected with the number of atoms within the cyclic amino ligand (3 = Az, 5 = Pyrro). 

Incidentally, the code names of N P Azg and N P PyrrOg are MYKO 83 and MYKO 85. 

Moreover, in view of such an universal activity of MYKO 63, EORTC decided in May 1980 to extend to 1982 the period during which this drug will be tested on animal tumors. To date new results increase still further the spectrum of effectiveness of MYKO 63 successful experiments were performed — or are in progress - on tumors such as lymphomas and lymphosarcomas, either radioresistant or radio-sensitive, on neuroblastomas (acute brain tumors, mainly in children), fibroblastomas (muscles tumors) and HeLa (from Helen Lattimer, the first patient who died from this tumor) cervix carcinoma (uterus tumor). 

---