HGS cancer MAb's impress in trials

This year's joint meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, the National Cancer Institute and the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer in San Francisco saw positive data from trials of US drug developer Human Genome Sciences' anticancer agent HGS-ETR2 (lexatumumab). The drug is a monoclonal antibody that directly induces apoptosis via interaction with the TRAIL 2 receptor, identified by HGS using its genomic screening technology.

In the reported trial, one of two intravenous doses of the drug, either 5mg/kg or 10mg/kg, was provided to patients in combination with either gemcitabine, pemetrexed, doxorubicin or 5-FU/LV with irinotecan (FOLFIRI). The results showed that objective responses were achieved by two participants in the HGS-ETR2 plus FOLFIRI group, while a further 22 patients of the 41 enrolled in the program reached stability. In addition, the firm said that the nature and severity of adverse events observed was consistent with underlying disease and the known safety profile of the chemotherapeutic regimen in question.

The Rockville-headquartered firm also presented preclinical data indicating that both HGS-ETR2 and HGS-ETR1 (mapatumumab), a related drug which was licensed by UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline in 1996 (Marketletters passim), demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor activity in patients with cholangiocarcinoma, in combination with chemotherapy. In xenograft models, both drugs added to either cisplatin or gemcitabine were shown to be more effective than chemotherapy alone.