Plenty of more early-stage and mid-stage study results came to light at ASCO over the past day. Here are some of the highlights:
- ArQule said that its lung cancer drug flunked a mid-stage study, but it flagged some positive results for a subset of patients taking the therapy. About two thirds of the patients taking a combination of ARQ-197 and Tarceva demonstrated an improvement in survival rates, but that wasn't enough to give it a significant statistical edge over Tarceva alone. Patients with non-squamous tumors, though, had a 47 percent increase in progression-free survival. Report
- Celldex Therapeutics reported yesterday that its skin cancer drug CDX-011 met its goals in a mid-stage study. Researchers tracked a 15 percent overall response rate among the 34 patients enrolled in the study. More frequent dosing was also linked to higher response rates. Story
- GTx, meanwhile, reported that its drug Ostarine improved the quality of life among patients suffering from muscle loss. The drug was linked to improved functional performance and increased muscle mass in a mid-stage study. GTx plans to map out a late-stage study this summer. Story
- Ariad Pharmaceuticals produced promising early-stage results for a leukemia drug. Researchers say that they have recorded promising signs of "beneficial and durable" responses among patients taking the drug. A pivotal trial is planned later this year. Story