AstraZeneca moves lung cancer drug into Phase III

[tnmynatt]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArt ... CANCER.xml

AstraZeneca moves lung cancer drug into Phase III

Mon Jul 4, 2005 9:09 AM BST

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca is starting final-stage Phase III trials with an experimental dual-action pill which has produced promising early results in fighting lung cancer, the company said on Monday.

If successful, Zactima -- previously known as ZD6474 -- could help Europe's third largest drugmaker recover some of the ground it lost in oncology last year when its marketed lung cancer treatment Iressa failed in a key trial.

Recruitment into a number of Phase III studies evaluating the anti-tumour activity of Zactima in patients with non-small cell lung cancer will begin in the next few months.

The once-daily pill combines the action of Iressa and Tarceva -- a rival product made by Genentech Inc and Roche Holding AG -- with an ability to starve tumours of their blood supply.

It also inhibits a substance called RET kinase, which researchers think may be important in certain tumours.

Hopes for so-called anti-angiogenesis products designed to stop tumours developing blood vessels have been boosted recently by the success of Roche/Genentech's Avastin, which has produced promising results against a range of cancers.

But the field is proving far from easy and another anti-angiogenesis drug, known as PTK/ZK, from Novartis AG and Schering AG has disappointed in tests.

Results of a Phase II study on Zactima presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in May showed it increased progression-free survival, or the amount of time patients remain alive without their disease getting worse.

Data from another two mid-stage studies will be presented at the 11th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain, later this week, AstraZeneca said.

Industry analysts said Zactima was still at a relatively early stage but the product could have significant sales potential if it succeeded in pivotal studies against lung cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world.