Marimastat Trials On Track For British Biotech

Oxford, UK-based British Biotech has reported what it describes as"considerable progress" in clinical trials of its anticancer drug marimastat, for which recruitment into pivotal Phase III studies has been completed.

The company says that with the commencement of additional studies, it is now running one of the largest pre-registration programs to be undertaken in the treatment of cancer, and hopes to be able to publish the trial results in the first half of 1999. BB noted that a separate development program aimed at Japanese registration was underway, with trials being funded by marketing partner Tanabe Seiyaku.

The update was given as BB announced its second-quarter and half-yearly results to October 31, which showed net losses running at original estimate levels. For the second quarter, losses reached L10.8 million ($18.3 million) and L19.9 million for the half year, increases of 33.3% and 23%, respectively, compared to the like, year-earlier period.