Phase II Study of SOM230 in Patients With Recurrent or Progressive Meningioma

SOM230 is an injectable somatostatin analogue. Like natural somatostatin and other somatostatin analogues (SRIFa), SOM230 exerts its pharmacological activity via binding to somatostatin receptors (sst). There are five known somatostatin receptors: sst 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Somatostatin receptors are expressed in different tissues under normal physiological conditions. Somatostatin analogues activate these receptors with different potencies (Schmid and Schoeffter 2004) and this activation results in a reduced cellular activity and inhibition of hormone secretion. Somatostatin receptors are strongly expressed in many solid tumors, especially in neuroendocrine tumors where hormones are excessively secreted e.g. acromegaly (Freda 2002), GEP/NET tumors (Oberg, et al 2004) and Cushing's disease.