Genta reports data from Ph II Genasense trial in prostate cancer

New Jersey, USA-based biopharmaceutical firm Genta says that preliminary results from a Phase II study of its anticancer agent Genasense (oblimersen sodium) are mixed. The findings were presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology Prostate Cancer symposium, held in Orlando, Florida.

The trial, which is a comparison of the effect of Genasense plus docetaxal versus docetaxal alone in the treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer, showed that both groups achieved a similar response rate to therapy (24% vs 19%), according to RECIST criteria. The firm said that the response to treatment was also comparable between the two groups using prostate-specific antigen levels as a measure (37% vs 47%).

Lead study investigator Cora Sternberg said that the patient selection criteria, which recruited those with metastatic forms of the disease who had elevated LDH levels, may not have been suitable for the trial. Dr Sternberg added that "data that support the activity of Genasense in earlier-stage disease were not known when this study was designed."