LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, MA and BASEL, SWITZERLAND--(Marketwire - December 09, 2009) - Antisoma
plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announces that Novartis, its
partner for ASA404, will feature ASA404 in today's Oncology pipeline
update for investors. A webcast will be available via the Novartis
website at www.novartis.com
The update covers recent progress on the ASA404 lung cancer
programme, notably the completion of enrolment into the ATTRACT-1
trial investigating ASA404 as a first-line treatment for non-small
cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Novartis also reiterates its plan to file
ASA404 in NSCLC in 2011 and to extend development of ASA404 to breast
cancer. The breast cancer programme will include a phase IB/II trial
starting in 2010. This trial will enrol patients receiving first-line
treatment for HER-2 negative metastatic disease and will combine
ASA404 with taxanes. Additional details are not being made public at
this time, and are expected to be announced at the time the breast
cancer trials begin.
Preclinical data on ASA404 in breast cancer will be presented this
week by Novartis scientists at the San Antonio Breast Cancer
Symposium. A poster entitled "Combination effects following addition
of the Tumour-Vascular Disrupting Agent ASA404 (vadimezan) to
taxane-containing regimens of trastuzumab and bevacizumab in human
breast cancer xenograft models" will be presented at the meeting on
Friday.
Glyn Edwards, Antisoma's CEO, said: "Novartis is running a
substantial development programme for ASA404 in non-small cell lung
cancer and we are very pleased to see this extending to HER-2
negative metastatic breast cancer, another major cancer indication
where there is significant unmet need."
Enquiries:
Antisoma plc:
Glyn Edwards, CEO +44 (0) 203 249 2100
Daniel Elger, VP, Marketing & +44 (0) 7909 915 068
Communications
Mark Court/Lisa Baderoon/Catherine Breen +44 (0)20 7466 5000
Buchanan Communications
Brian Korb +1 646 378 2923
The Trout Group
Except for the historical information presented, certain matters
discussed in this statement are forward looking statements that are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and
uncertainties may be associated with product discovery and
development, including statements regarding the company's clinical
development programmes, the expected timing of clinical trials and
regulatory filings. Such statements are based on management's current
expectations, but actual results may differ materially.
About ASA404
ASA404 (vadimezan, formerly known as DMXAA and AS1404) is a
small-molecule Tumour-Vascular Disrupting Agent (Tumour-VDA) which
targets the blood vessels that nourish tumours. The drug was
discovered by Professors Bruce Baguley and William Denny and their
teams at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of
Auckland, New Zealand. It was in-licensed by Antisoma from Cancer
Research Ventures Limited (now Cancer Research Technology), the
development and commercialisation company of the Cancer Research
Campaign (now Cancer Research UK), in 2001. Worldwide rights to the
drug were licensed to Novartis AG in April 2007; Antisoma has an
option to co-sell ASA404 with Novartis in the United States. Novartis
is conducting phase III studies of ASA404 in NSCLC, and also plans to
investigate the drug's potential as a treatment for metastatic breast
cancer.
A randomised phase II trial in patients receiving first-line
treatment for NSCLC showed that addition of ASA404 to carboplatin and
paclitaxel chemotherapy improved survival by 5 months. A second,
single-arm, phase II trial also reported positive results with ASA404
in the same patient group.
About Antisoma
Antisoma is a London Stock Exchange-listed biopharmaceutical company
that develops novel products for the treatment of cancer. The Company
has operations in the UK and the US. Please visit
www.antisoma.com for further information about Antisoma.
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Copyright (c) Hugin AS 2009. All rights reserved.
