New Agent Shows Action Against Liver Tumors

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

New Agent Shows Action Against Liver Tumors

By Toni e and Sitaraman Shankar

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) Sept 29 - A drug developed by Bayer AG and Onyx

Pharmaceuticals caused regression of tumors in some liver cancer patients in

a mid-stage trial and stabilized the disease, the companies said on

Wednesday.

The agent, BAY 43-9006, shrank liver cancer tumors in 9% of patients and

stabilized the disease of 43% for at least four months, according to data

presented at a cancer research conference in Switzerland.

Of the 137 patients with advanced liver cancer, seven patients had their

tumors shrink by 50% or more, and five had tumors shrink by 25% to 50%. In

59 patients, stabilization of their disease for at least four months was

their best response.

The median overall survival of patients in the trial was 9.2 months.

Investigator Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa noted that " the results are definitely

promising but the drug needs further testing, possibly in combination with

another chemotherapeutic or biologic drug. "

He added, that the drug was very tolerable, causing only mild side effects

such as fatigue and diarrhea.

The findings were presented at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular

Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, sponsored by the European Organization for

Research and Treatment of Cancer, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and

the American Association for Cancer Research.

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

New Agent Shows Action Against Liver Tumors

By Toni e and Sitaraman Shankar

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) Sept 29 - A drug developed by Bayer AG and Onyx

Pharmaceuticals caused regression of tumors in some liver cancer patients in

a mid-stage trial and stabilized the disease, the companies said on

Wednesday.

The agent, BAY 43-9006, shrank liver cancer tumors in 9% of patients and

stabilized the disease of 43% for at least four months, according to data

presented at a cancer research conference in Switzerland.

Of the 137 patients with advanced liver cancer, seven patients had their

tumors shrink by 50% or more, and five had tumors shrink by 25% to 50%. In

59 patients, stabilization of their disease for at least four months was

their best response.

The median overall survival of patients in the trial was 9.2 months.

Investigator Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa noted that " the results are definitely

promising but the drug needs further testing, possibly in combination with

another chemotherapeutic or biologic drug. "

He added, that the drug was very tolerable, causing only mild side effects

such as fatigue and diarrhea.

The findings were presented at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular

Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, sponsored by the European Organization for

Research and Treatment of Cancer, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and

the American Association for Cancer Research.

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

New Agent Shows Action Against Liver Tumors

By Toni e and Sitaraman Shankar

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) Sept 29 - A drug developed by Bayer AG and Onyx

Pharmaceuticals caused regression of tumors in some liver cancer patients in

a mid-stage trial and stabilized the disease, the companies said on

Wednesday.

The agent, BAY 43-9006, shrank liver cancer tumors in 9% of patients and

stabilized the disease of 43% for at least four months, according to data

presented at a cancer research conference in Switzerland.

Of the 137 patients with advanced liver cancer, seven patients had their

tumors shrink by 50% or more, and five had tumors shrink by 25% to 50%. In

59 patients, stabilization of their disease for at least four months was

their best response.

The median overall survival of patients in the trial was 9.2 months.

Investigator Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa noted that " the results are definitely

promising but the drug needs further testing, possibly in combination with

another chemotherapeutic or biologic drug. "

He added, that the drug was very tolerable, causing only mild side effects

such as fatigue and diarrhea.

The findings were presented at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular

Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, sponsored by the European Organization for

Research and Treatment of Cancer, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and

the American Association for Cancer Research.

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

New Agent Shows Action Against Liver Tumors

By Toni e and Sitaraman Shankar

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) Sept 29 - A drug developed by Bayer AG and Onyx

Pharmaceuticals caused regression of tumors in some liver cancer patients in

a mid-stage trial and stabilized the disease, the companies said on

Wednesday.

The agent, BAY 43-9006, shrank liver cancer tumors in 9% of patients and

stabilized the disease of 43% for at least four months, according to data

presented at a cancer research conference in Switzerland.

Of the 137 patients with advanced liver cancer, seven patients had their

tumors shrink by 50% or more, and five had tumors shrink by 25% to 50%. In

59 patients, stabilization of their disease for at least four months was

their best response.

The median overall survival of patients in the trial was 9.2 months.

Investigator Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa noted that " the results are definitely

promising but the drug needs further testing, possibly in combination with

another chemotherapeutic or biologic drug. "

He added, that the drug was very tolerable, causing only mild side effects

such as fatigue and diarrhea.

The findings were presented at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular

Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, sponsored by the European Organization for

Research and Treatment of Cancer, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and

the American Association for Cancer Research.