Study With Gemcitabine and RTA 402 for Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Phase I patients should have treatment naïve pancreatic cancer; however , Phase I patients who have had 1 prior regimen consisting of adjuvant chemo-radiation or adjuvant gemcitabine - as defined within the NCCN guidelines may be enrolled. Phase II patients must have metastatic disease (Stage IV only).
* Karnofsky performance status of \>70%
* Adequate liver function. (total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL and AST(SGOT) and ALT(SGPT) of \< 2.5 ULN ( ≤ 5 ULN for Phase II patients with liver metastases), Serum Creatinine \< 1.5 ULN
* Adequate bone marrow function as documented by the following laboratory test results within 14 days of starting therapy. platelets ≥100,000/mm3, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1500/mm3, hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL, white blood cell (WBC) count ≥3000 /mm3
* Practice effective contraception during the entire study period.
* Life expectancy of more than 3 months.
* Able and willing to sign the informed consent form.
* Willing and able to self-administer orally and document all doses of RTA 402 ingested.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Prior treatment for current malignancy outside of the adjuvant setting for Phase I
* Inability to swallow tablets or capsules
* Active brain metastases or primary central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. (Patients with a previously treated brain metastasis may be included.)
* Active second malignancy
* Ten percent or greater weight loss over the 6 weeks before study entry.
* Pregnant or breast feeding
* Clinically significant illnesses which could compromise participation in the study, including, but not limited to: Uncontrolled diabetes; Active or uncontrolled infection; Acute or chronic liver disease; Confirmed diagnosis of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; Uncontrolled hypertension, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, or uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia.
* Psychiatric illness that would limit compliance with study requirements.