Amgen announces results of two Phase 3 studies evaluating Vectibix for mCRC

Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) today announced that detailed results from two pivotal Phase 3 studies evaluating Vectibix® (panitumumab) in combination with chemotherapy for the first and second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) (the PRIME '203' and '181' trials, respectively) will be presented at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in Orlando, Florida from Jan. 22-24, 2010.

"The results from the 203 and 181 trials evaluating Vectibix administered in combination with chemotherapy in first and second-line treatment provide important information for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and the physicians who care for them," said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "Our data reinforce the importance of the KRAS mutation as a predictive biomarker for responsiveness to Vectibix therapy.  We believe that KRAS testing should be conducted in all patients with colorectal cancer soon after diagnosis, to allow physicians to choose the most appropriate treatment strategies for their patients."

Full data from these two pivotal Phase 3 studies will be presented on Sunday, January 24, at 10:30 a.m. (EST).