Novartis says that its experimental cancer therapy Afinitor produced positive data in a mid-stage trial, setting the stage for a late-stage study. The research team now plans to begin enrolling patients for the Phase III trial this year.
Researchers say the drug, code-named RAD001, halted tumor growth in more than half of all patients with advanced gastric cancer. And 45 percent of patients demonstrated some tumor shrinkage. RAD001 inhibits mTOR, a protein that acts as a central regulator of tumor cell division, cell metabolism and blood vessel growth. The study recruited 54 refractory patients with advanced gastric cancer. The data will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium on January 15.
"There are very limited treatment options for patients who progressed despite the standard treatment for this aggressive cancer," said Atsushi Ohtsu, MD, PhD, Director, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan. "The results from this study demonstrate that RAD001 has the potential to provide an effective new option for these patients."
- check out Novartis' release