Cytokinetics abandons ispinesib at Ph II

USA-based small-molecule drugmaker Cytokinetics says that its cancer drug ispinesib did not meet the necessary criteria to proceed to the next stage of its evaluation in non-small cell lung cancer, after an interim analysis of data from a Phase II clinical trial being conducted by its development partner, UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline.

In the Phase II clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ispinesib monotherapy in the second-line treatment of patients with either platinum-sensitive or platinum-refractory NSCLC, ispinesib, which is an antimitotic that inhibits the kinesin spindle protein, failed to show a minimum of one confirmed partial or complete response out of 20 evaluable patients in a treatment arm. This was the point of when proceeding to Stage 2 in that treatment arm would occur.

On the day of the news, March 30, shares in the New York-headquartered biotechnology firm dropped 6.1% to $6.75 n after hours trading.