DN-101 is an oral anti-cancer therapy for solid tumors and various hematologic malignancies. DN-101 is a unique formulation of calcitriol specifically designed for use in cancer. Calcitriol is a naturally occurring hormone and the most potent biologically active form of vitamin D. In high doses, calcitriol is active in many laboratory and animal models of cancer and synergistic with many commonly used chemotherapeutic agents. Until recently, the clinical use of calcitriol as an anti-cancer therapy was limited by hypercalcemia at doses required for anti-tumor activity. Based upon clinical results to date, Novacea believes it has successfully developed a solution to this problem through development of DN-101.

Chemotherapy for NSCLC, while not curative, has been shown to prolong survival in patients with unresectable disease. A number of different chemotherapy agents have been shown to have single-agent activity in NSCLC. These include cisplatin, carboplatin, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, paclitaxel and docetaxel. For first-line therapy of Stage IIIB or Stage IV NSCLC, these agents are generally used in combination. In most cases, first-line chemotherapy consists of a platinum-based agent, either cisplatin or carboplatin, and another chemotherapeutic.

Only one agent, Taxotere®, has been approved in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration for use as second-line chemotherapy in NSCLC.