Vertex And BioChem Begin Ph II With VX-710

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and BioChem Pharma have initiated Phase IIclinical trials with Vertex' VX-710 in breast cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. Vertex developed the drug as a chemosensitizing agent to overcome multidrug resistance in solid tumors.

The open-label trials, including a Phase II trial which commenced mid-1996 in liver cancer patients, will be conducted in the USA and Canada, and will evaluate the tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of intravenously-administered VX-710 in combination with a commonly-used chemotherapeutic agent. In one Phase II trial, up to 85 women with relapsing breast cancer following treatment with paclitaxel, will be treated with VX-710 plus paclitaxel.

BioChem, Vertex' development and marketing partner for Canada, is conducting another open-label, Phase II trial in up to 55 patients who have relapsing soft tissue sarcoma following doxorubicin treatment. Here, VX-710 will be administered in conjunction with doxorubicin. Later on in the year, BioChem also plans to conduct a Phase II trial with VX-710 in combination with paclitaxel in ovarian cancer patients.