UPDATE: Bayer and Onyx halt Nexavar trial in NSCLC

25 February 2008

Bayer Healthcare, a US subsidiary of the German Bayer group, and partner Onyx have halted a late-stage clinical trial of their Nexavar (soragenib) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, after the independent monitoring board concluded that it would not meet its primary endpoint of improved overall survival.

The news saw Bayer's share price drop 2.3% to 54.40 euros by close of February 18, the day of the announcement.

The Phase III ESCAPE trial evaluated Nexavar administered in combination with the chemotherapeutic agents carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with NSCLC. Safety events were generally consistent with those previously reported. However, higher mortality was observed in the subset of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung treated with sorafenib and carboplatin and paclitaxel versus those treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel alone, the firms noted.

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