Strong Ph I/II data for BTG's plevitrexed

London, UK-based drugmaker BTG has reported encouraging data from a Phase I/II study of plevitrexed, its selective inhibitor of thymidylate synthase targeting gastric, pancreatic and ovarian cancer. The findings, which were presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held in Orlando, Florida, was designed to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the agent in patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer.

Of the 28 patients who were evaluable for response at the recommended dose level of 130mg/m2 and taken into the Phase II part of the study, five subjects had a partial response (17.9% response rate) and a further 15 (53.6%) had stable disease giving an overall disease control rate of 71.4%. One patient on the lower dose of 65mg/m2 had a complete response and an additional five patients who received the higher dose of 165 mg/m2 had stable disease. The use of nutritional supplements improved the dosing consistency and allowed for greater dose intensity, BTG noted.