Strong interim Ph II data on Poniard's picoplatin

The USA's Poniard Pharmaceuticals presented encouraging efficacy and  safety data from an ongoing Phase II trial of picoplatin in combination  with docetaxel and prednisone as first-line therapy for metastatic  castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Results showed that the combination is active as first-line therapy for  metastatic CRPC as demonstrated by prostate-specific antigen levels,  time to PSA progression and radiologic response rates. Results also  continue to show that picoplatin can be safely administered with  full-doses of docetaxel and prednisone, the standard treatment for CRPC,  the firm noted.

William Oh, clinical director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary  Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and associate professor,  Harvard Medical School, said that, "while awaiting final data from this  trial, I believe that the updated results reported to date warrant  consideration of a Phase III clinical trial to compare picoplatin with  docetaxel and prednisone to docetaxel and prednisone alone in metastatic  CRPC patients, a group of men with limited therapeutic choices."