Lorus Therapeutics (formerly GeneSense Technologies) is developing GTI-2501, directed against the R1 component of ribonucleotide reductase, for the potential treatment of cancer [348928]. In November 2000, the company filed an IND with the FDA in preparation to begin a phase I trial in the US in the first quarter of 2001 [389975], [396537], [397960]. In March 2001, the FDA approved the IND application [402350], and in June 2001, a phase I, dose-escalating trial in patients with lymphomas or solid tumors which have not responded to standard therapy commenced in the US [412225]. The company expected the phase I trial of GTI-2501 to be completed within 12 to 15 months [420582]. In November 1999, the company reported that in preclinical trials, GTI-2501 was an effective anticancer agent when tested in standard mouse models bearing a variety of different human cancer lines including tumor cells derived from lung, breast, colon, kidney, ovary pancreas and skin cancers [348928]. Lorus received a patent from the US PTO in January 2000, covering the design and use of unique anitisense anticancer drugs, including GTI-2501 and GTI-2040 [353538]. In June 2000, the USPTO allowed a patent to specifically protect GTI-2501 [370810].