OxiGene Shares Down After Sensamide Study

Shares in Swedish company OxiGene fell 12% to $34.50 after a PhaseII/III study of its lung cancer product Sensamide, a highly-concentrated form of metoclopramide, indicated that the seriousness of side effects such as sedation, anxiety, restlessness and depression, caused 70 of the original 110 study participants to drop out. These side effects were expected, says the company.

Sensamide is designed to make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation in patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer by inhibiting the ability of the cells to repair themselves after treatment. The study, did, however, also demonstrate that patients who completed a course of radiation therapy in combination with Sensamide treatment lived twice as long as patients who received radiation alone (median survival of 22 months versus 11 months).

The company says that it is now conducting another Phase III trial with a new formulation of the drug, called Neu-Sensamide, which should have fewer side effects.