Ark shares soar on gene therapy data

A late-stage study of Ark Therapeutics' gene therapy for cancer posted significant survival benefits for volunteers with operable high grade glioma, sending its stock soaring 69 percent on the news. The group given a combination of Temodar, the best selling brain cancer drug, and Cerepro posted a 68 percent average improvement in survival in Phase III compared to standard care. A group given Cerepro alone posted a 50 percent improvement in survival. The Cerepro group lived an average of 42 days longer.

Analysts seemed divided, though, whether Ark had sufficiently made its case for the drug. A few weeks of extra life may not be enough to convince some governments around the world to pay for the therapy. But the full benefits have yet to be established.

- here's Ark's release [1]
- read the report [2] from the Financial Times

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Trial death spurs questions about gene therapy [4]