Irinotecan News and Research

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Irinotecan hydrochloride is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used with other drugs to treat colorectal cancer that has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). It is also approved to treat metastatic colorectal cancer that has recurred (come back) or gotten worse after earlier chemotherapy. In addition to the uses that have been approved by the FDA, irinotecan hydrochloride is sometimes used to treat other types of cancer. Irinotecan hydrochloride is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.

Erbitux recognized as one of the major clinical cancer advances of 2009

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has once again recognized Erbitux® (cetuximab) as one of the major clinical cancer advances of 2009. This year Erbitux was selected by ASCO for providing the first significant increase in survival for 30 years in the treatment of patients with 1st-line recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

16 Nov 2009

Data on BioAlliance Pharma's oral chemotherapy nanoparticle formulation presented at the AAPS meeting

BioAlliance Pharma SA, a company dedicated to the treatment and supportive care of cancer and AIDS patients, has presented its results on new oral chemotherapy nanoparticle formulation at the AAPS (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles (November 8 to 12, 2009).

13 Nov 2009

Review of Mersana Therapeutics's lead compound, XMT-1001 to be published

Mersana Therapeutics, a platform-based cancer therapeutics company, announced today that a review of the Company's lead compound, XMT-1001, will appear in the November 12, 2009 special issue of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews on Polymer Therapeutics: Clinical Applications and Challenges for Development.

12 Nov 2009

Amgen announces the results for Phase 3 PRIME '203' trial of Vectibix

Amgen today announced that the Phase 3 PRIME "203" trial evaluating Vectibix® (panitumumab) administered in combination with FOLFOX (an oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy) as a first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) failed to meet a secondary endpoint of overall survival.

5 Nov 2009

Third-quarter 2009 financial results of Antigenics announced

Antigenics Inc. reported today its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. The company incurred a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $10.8 million, or $0.13 per share, basic and diluted, for the third quarter of 2009, compared with a net loss attributable to common stockholders in the third quarter of 2008 of $11.4 million, or $0.17 per share, basic and diluted.

29 Oct 2009

Enrollment for Phase 2 clinical study of NKTR-102 completed ahead of schedule

Nektar Therapeutics today announced that it has completed enrollment ahead of schedule in its Phase 2 clinical study of NKTR-102 in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. NKTR-102 is Nektar's investigational proprietary compound currently being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical development in ovarian, breast and colorectal cancers.

28 Oct 2009

Data from Phase II clinical trial of NKTR-118 presented

Data from a phase II study demonstrated that oral NKTR-118 improved lower gastrointestinal dysfunction by increasing the frequency of bowel movements in patients with opioid-induced constipation, while simultaneously preserving opioid-mediated analgesia.

28 Oct 2009

UCSF presents update of Phase 2 clinical trial of Oncophage cancer vaccine at SNO 2009

Antigenics today announced that the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has presented an update on a Phase 2 clinical trial of Oncophage (vitespen) for recurrent high grade glioma (brain cancer) at the 2009 Joint Meeting of SNO (Society for Neuro-Oncology) and AANS/CNS Section on Tumors 2009 in New Orleans, LA.

26 Oct 2009

Celator Pharmaceuticals enrolls 120 patients in CPX-351 Phase 2 study

Celator Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has completed enrollment in its Phase 2 multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial of CPX-351 (Cytarabine:Daunorubicin) Liposome Injection versus conventional cytarabine and daunorubicin therapy ("7+3") in patients 60-75 years of age with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

12 Oct 2009

Nektar Therapeutics presents the results from Phase 2 clinical trial of oral NKTR-118

Nektar Therapeutics presented topline data today from its Phase 2 clinical trial of oral NKTR-118 at the American Academy of Pain Management's (AAPM) 20th Annual Clinical Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

12 Oct 2009

Bristol-Myers announces availability of ERBITUX for metastatic colorectal cancer treatment

Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada is pleased to announce that the Ontario government has made ERBITUX(TM) (cetuximab) available to patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer. This decision makes Ontario the second province, after British Columbia, to introduce funding for this important treatment option and represents encouraging news for those patients who rely on provincial drug coverage and stopped responding to standard treatments for metastatic colon cancer.

1 Oct 2009

Response Genetics launches new genetic diagnostic test for gastric cancer

Response Genetics, Inc., a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, announced today the availability of its ResponseDX: Gastric™ genetic test panel, a proprietary PCR-based diagnostic test. By analyzing the expression of genes that correlate with response to commonly used chemotherapy agents, physicians can better tailor treatment for their patients with gastric cancer and gastroesophageal (GE) junction cancer.

29 Sep 2009

US Treasury Department clears YM BioSciences' nimotuzumab clinical program extension

YM BioSciences Inc. a life sciences product development company that identifies and advances a diverse portfolio of promising cancer-related products at various stages of development, today reported operational and financial results for its fiscal year end, ended June 30, 2009.

25 Sep 2009

New method found for the treatment of pancreatic cancer

For the first time researchers have shown that by inhibiting the action of an enzyme called TAK-1, it is possible to make pancreatic cancer cells sensitive to chemotherapy, opening the way for the development of a new drug to treat the disease.

24 Sep 2009

Results of Phase 3 CRYSTAL study of mCRC patients announced

The retrospective CRYSTAL analysis was conducted as a result of an effort to increase the tissue ascertainment rate to determine the K-ras status of patients’ tumors. The analysis included extended patient follow up of nearly 1.5 years and doubled the tissue ascertainment rate from 45% to 89%. These data are an update from the overall survival results from CRYSTAL that were published in the April 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

23 Sep 2009

EGFR-targeted therapy improves survival rates in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that Erbitux® (cetuximab) demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival (OS) when added to standard 1st-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients with KRAS wild-type tumors.

23 Sep 2009

Amgen announces Phase 3 results evaluating Vectibix in combination with FOLFIRI chemotherapy

Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) today announced detailed results from the Phase 3 '181' trial evaluating Vectibix((R)) (panitumumab) in combination with FOLFIRI (an irinotecan based chemotherapy), as a second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). In this trial, Vectibix significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with KRAS wild-type mCRC.

22 Sep 2009

AstraZeneca and Nektar Therapeutics enter worldwide license agreement for two drug development programmes

AstraZeneca and Nektar Therapeutics announced today that they have entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for two drug development programmes: NKTR-118, a late stage investigational product being evaluated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation, and the NKTR-119 programme, an early stage programme that is intended to deliver products for the treatment of pain without constipation side effects.

21 Sep 2009

Amgen to present its four Phase 3 clinical trial results

Amgen today announced it will present detailed data from four Phase 3 studies as well as other data at the ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 European Multidisciplinary Congress, September 20 - 24, 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

16 Sep 2009

Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals discontinue Phase 3 trial of aflibercept

Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the discontinuation of the Phase 3 trial that evaluated aflibercept (VEGF Trap) plus gemcitabine versus placebo plus gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer (VANILLA), based on the recommendations by an Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC).

14 Sep 2009