GPC presents promising data at AACR

GPC Biotech AG, a German biopharmaceutical company, has presented preclinical data on its lead drug candidate, satraplatin, used in the treatment of lung cancer, at the 97th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington DC.

A poster presentation, entitled Synergistic antitumor activity of the combination of satraplatin and docetaxal in H460 human non-small cell lung carcinoma xenografted in nude mice, discussed the findings of in vivo studies of the compound and Sanofi-Aventis' Taxotere (docetaxel) used individually and in combination under several dosing and treatment schedules. The researchers reported that combined therapy was more effective in the treatment of the condition than either monotherapy and produced no measurable increase in toxicity.

In a second presentation, the firm announced data from trials of the satraplatin metabolite JM118 in combination with Roche's Herceptin (trastuzumab), used against breast cancer cells. The data showed that both concurrent and sequential exposure of the cells to the compounds resulted in strong cytotoxic activity. The firm says that it has begun a trial of satraplatin in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.