B-MS halts vinflunine deal with Fabre

US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb has said that it is terminating its license agreement with privately-held French firm Pierre Fabre Medicament for the development of vinflunine, a chemotherapy agent under investigation for the treatment of advanced or metastatic bladder cancer and other tumor types.

Based on a review of the clinical development program and the decision not to file a New Drug Application for bladder cancer in the USA, coupled with an analysis of the US company's R&D priorities, it was jointly decided that all rights licensed to vinflunine will be returned to Fabre.

When B-MS acquired rights to the drug, then given the trade name Javlor, it was in Phase III development for the treatment of bladder and non-small cell lung cancer and in Phase II evaluation for breast and ovarian cancer. Its designated territories were the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea and selected Southeast Asia countries. Neither the original financial terms nor those of the termination have been disclosed.