Head-and-neck cancer treatment trial flops in Phase 3 trials causing Amgen stock to drop. The first-line therapy failed first and secondary goals compared with chemotherapy alone.
Amgen on Wednesday released the results of its Phase 3 clinical trial for the cancer treatment Vectibix, and the news wasn’t particularly good. According to the report, the treatment-currently approved for colorectal cancer-failed to show signs of improved survival rate in patients treated for head and neck cancer.
Amgen’s vice president of R&D, Roger Perlmutter, called the results a disappointment, but failed to elaborate on any future plans for Vectibix.
According to the data, patients taking the medication lived 11.1 months longer compared with patients on chemotherapy alone, which allowed them to live nine months longer. A secondary endpoint looking at progression-free survival was even less impressive-5.8 months versus 4.6 months.
A total of 658 patients were enrolled in the study, dubbed Spectrum, and each received either Vectibix and chemotherapy or chemo treatment alone. Patients treated with the combination treatment experienced side effects including nausea, skin rash, neutropenia, and vomiting.
Vectibix’s biggest competition is Erbitux, a colorectal treatment jointly owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Lilly that already received the nod from FDA to be used as a head and neck cancer treatment.
Amgen stated in a release that the disease strikes 400,000 people every year and is the sixth-most-common cancer globally. There are no effective tests to catch the cancer beforehand and success in treating it depends on the time frame in which the cancer is detected.
According to Reuters, Amgen stock dropped 2.5 percent when the news broke, and analysts are beginning to doubt Vectibix’s blockbuster potential.
A full rundown of the study will be released at the annual European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in October.
What Every Pharma CEO Should Know About Unlocking the Potential of Scientific Data
December 11th 2024When integrated into pharmaceutical enterprises, scientific data has the potential to drive organizational growth and innovation. Mikael Hagstroem, CEO at leading laboratory informatics provider LabVantage Solutions, discusses how technology partners add significant value to pharmaceutical R&D, in addition to manufacturing quality.
Key Findings of the NIAGARA and HIMALAYA Trials
November 8th 2024In this episode of the Pharmaceutical Executive podcast, Shubh Goel, head of immuno-oncology, gastrointestinal tumors, US oncology business unit, AstraZeneca, discusses the findings of the NIAGARA trial in bladder cancer and the significance of the five-year overall survival data from the HIMALAYA trial, particularly the long-term efficacy of the STRIDE regimen for unresectable liver cancer.