Strong final Ph II data on AS1404

UK cancer specialist Antisoma has reported final data from a Phase II trial of its anti-angiogenesis drug candidate, AS1404, in non-small cell lung cancer, at a meeting of European oncologists, held in Prague, the Czech Republic.

Patients who received the small-molecule vascular-disrupting agent in addition to standard chemotherapy had 5.2 months longer median survival (14.0 versus 8.8 months) than that of patients on standard chemotherapy alone. This is one of the largest differences in survival ever reported from a trial combining a novel agent with first-line chemotherapy for lung cancer. Addition of AS1404 reduced the risk of death 27%.

Study participants on AS1404 in addition to standard chemotherapy had 23% increases in both median (5.4 vs 4.4 months) and mean (6.3 vs 5.1 months) time-to-tumor progression compared with standard chemotherapy, according to an updated and final assessment by trial investigators. This analysis was conducted after follow-up of all patients for at least 12 months and shows a greater delay in progression with AS1404 than that reported earlier this year based on interim data from the randomized, placebo-controlled trial.