ESMO 2008 - GlaxoSmithKline to present encouraging new data supporting late stage development programme
- Newly integrated ‘GSK Oncology' Research and Development unit announced
12 Sep 2008 , London, UK : At the 33rd meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Stockholm, Sweden, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Oncology will present exciting new data for Tyverb® (lapatinib) and pazopanib. These new data form the foundation of Phase III development plans for these molecules across a variety of tumours including Head and Neck, Ovarian, Lung, and Soft Tissue Sarcoma.
GSK will also present data for the anti-emetic neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, ZunrisaTM (casopitant); the oxidative stress inducer, elesclomol, for metastatic melanoma and the antigen-specific cancer immunotherapeutic, MAGE-A3 ASCI for non-small cell lung cancer and metastatic melanoma.
These data represent a significant level of growth within GSK's oncology portfolio - demonstrating the Company's commitment to oncology and the strength of its late stage pipeline
Newly Integrated ‘GSK Oncology'
Today, GSK also announced the formation of a newly integrated Oncology Research and Development Organisation. GSK Oncology brings together small discovery units (DPUs) within the existing CEDD, and a highly specialised drug development group to create a dedicated oncology research and development organisation, led by Paolo Paoletti, M.D., Senior Vice President Oncology Research and Development.
"GSK has designed this new organisation to help us increase the breadth and depth of our core oncology knowledge, in order to ultimately deliver more innovative medicines that enhance cancer patients' lives", said Paoletti. "By creating an end-to-end R&D unit we are able to capture the many synergies that exist between discovery and development in oncology. The application of translational medicine will bring about significant enhancements to the R&D group via the ‘bench to bed' connection - the constant loop and flow of information from early to late stage development, and vice-versa."
"The newly formed GSK R&D Oncology Unit is directly aligned with our R&D strategy to deliver more products of value, and will help us increase our efforts towards personalised medicine in oncology," said Moncef Slaoui, Chairman, Research and Development. "This dedicated unit will have the primary goals of identifying new targets and pathways, conducting innovative clinical research and cost-effectively increasing development capacity in order to deliver the unit's large portfolio of medicines."
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com