Drugs Log

AstraZeneca Plc is stopping a clinical trial of Recentin as a treatment for lung cancer after a mid-stage study failed to meet its main goal, although trials in colorectal cancer will move ahead.

The mixed news on Wednesday adds to the company’s patchy record on drug research, analysts said.

Recentin, which is given as a pill, is a rival to Roche Holding AG and Genentech Inc’s blockbuster injectable treatment Avastin. It was being tested against non-small-cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease.

The Anglo-Swedish drug maker said Recentin had shown some evidence of clinical activity in lung cancer but a Phase II/III trial would not progress into Phase III because among patients given the drug “there appeared to be an imbalance in toxicity.”

John Patterson, the company’s executive director for development, said AstraZenenca remained committed to investigating the potential of Recentin in lung cancer, despite the setback.

AstraZeneca, meanwhile, is progressing with a final stage Phase III clinical trial comparing Recentin plus chemotherapy with Avastin plus chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.

Shares in the drug maker were 0.3 percent lower at 20.01 pounds by 0825 GMT in a broadly unchanged market for drug stocks.

Navid Malik, a pharmaceuticals analyst at Collins Stewart, said lung cancer had potentially been the bigger commercial opportunity for Recentin, given there were already a number of competing drugs in colorectal cancer.

“Recentin was potentially a $1 billion product, so I think this is going to be quite disappointing for AstraZeneca,” he said. “AstraZeneca needs good news from the pipeline.”

AstraZeneca, which is facing the threat of generic competition to its two biggest sellers — Nexium and Seroquel — has suffered a series of setbacks with its new drug pipeline in recent years.

Back in 2001, AstraZeneca was the top-rated stock in the European sector but the failure of five key drugs — Exanta, Iressa, Galida, NXY-059 and AGI-1067 — and the risk from generics has pushed it into the bargain basement, trading at around 8.7 times forecast 2009 earnings.

Recentin, like Avastin, is a targeted cancer therapy — a new class of medicine designed to fight tumours more effectively than chemotherapy, with fewer side effects. It targets three vascular endothelial growth factor receptors used by tumors to get blood supply.

AstraZeneca also has another similar experimental drug in development for lung cancer, called Zactima. Clinical trial results for this product are expected to read out in the coming months.

Astra Drug Moves Ahead in Colon Cancer, Stopped in Lung Test

AstraZeneca Plc’s experimental medicine Recentin will move into late-stage testing for use in colorectal tumors. Trials in lung cancer will be stopped.

The treatment will move into the last of the three stages of testing generally required before regulatory approval in colorectal cancer, London-based AstraZeneca said in a statement today. Tests of the medicine in non-small cell lung cancer will be stopped because of safety concerns that arose in an earlier trial, the company said.

AstraZeneca Announces Recentin(R) As Global Trademark For Novel Cancer Treatment

AstraZeneca today announced RECENTIN™ as the global trademark for AZD2171, its oral, highly potent and selective vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling inhibitor. AZD2171 is currently in Phase II/III development for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) - as well as a wide-ranging signal search programme in other tumours.

Ian Triggs, Global Brand Strategy Director for AZD2171 commented:
“The announcement of a brand name represents a key milestone in the development of AZD2171″

Dr Nick Botwood, Global Medical Director for AZD2171, added:
“Pre-clinical data shows this compound is a potent suppressor of angiogenesis - an established approach in anti-cancer treatment. More importantly, early clinical trial data has also shown encouraging anti-tumour activity with AZD2171 and a side effect profile that appears to be predictable and manageable. The ongoing trial programme will be important to establish how AZD2171 may add to the treatment options currently available to patients.”

VEGF is a key driver of angiogenesis - the formation of new blood vessels. By inhibiting VEGF receptors, AZD2171 hinders angiogenesis, thus preventing the blood supply that tumours need to grow and spread. There are three VEGF receptors involved in tumour angiogenesis, (VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, VEGFR-3).

AZD2171 inhibits all three,1 in particular VEGFR-2, the predominant receptor through which VEGF exerts its effect on angiogenesis.

Keywords for this article:

• AstraZeneca Recentin
• medicine Recentin
• lung cancer