An experimental treatment combining the drug olaparib, which blocks DNA repair, with the blood vessel inhibitor cediranib showed a near doubling of progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Roche said that results from a Phase 1 open-label study of its checkpoint inhibitor MPDL3280A shrank tumours in 43% of people with a specific type of metastatic bladder cancer. The data was disclosed at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago on 31 May.
Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG of Switzerland has reported further positive data from a Phase 3 trial of a new treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disease that causes severe degeneration of the muscle.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has reported the failure of a second Phase 3 trial of its candidate medicine for acute coronary syndrome darapladib. In the study the compound did not achieve the primary endpoint of reducing major coronary events compared with placebo and the standard of care.
An antiviral agent intended to prevent cytomegalovirus infections in patients receiving bone marrow transplants, has been highlighted in a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine. The compound, letermovir, originated at AiCuris GmbH & Co of Germany.
Merck & Co Inc said that is suspending a Phase 3 study of the experimental treatment vintafolide for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer on advice from the trial’s data safety monitoring board because the product didn’t show efficacy for progression-free survival.
A new paradigm for testing experimental medicines is being launched in the UK under the leadership of Cancer Research UK and with the participation of AstraZeneca Plc, Pfizer Inc and the National Health Service (NHS). The project involves testing up to 14 experimental medicines in patients with late-stage non-small cell lung cancer who have been ‘stratified’ according to the genetic characteristics of their disease.
Cytos Biotechnology AG of Switzerland said that its Phase 2b study of a new compound for moderate to severe allergic asthma failed to meet its primary endpoint of a statistically significant reduction in an asthma rating test, and the trial is being stopped.
An aptamer drug developed by Noxxon Pharma AG has shown positive results in a Phase 2a study of patients with diabetic nephropathy, a complication of diabetes. The drug, emapticap pegol, had beneficial effects on patients even after the cessation of treatment.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has decided is to stop a Phase 3 trial of a MAGE-A3 cancer vaccine for patients with non-small cell lung cancer because it has been unable to identify a sub-population that might benefit from the treatment.