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Pancreatic
Cancer Claims Life Of Football Player Harvey Martin
December 24, 2001
Former Dallas Cowboys defensive
end Harvey Martin died today of pancreatic cancer. He was 51
years old. The four-time Pro Bowler starred for the Dallas Cowboys
football team during the 1970's and highlighted his eleven-year
career by being voted the Most Valuable Player of the 1978 Super
Bowl. During the season previous to that he had been selected
as The Associated Press' National Football League defensive player
of the year.
AVICINE
Plus Gemcitabine: Increased 1-Year Survival (Phase II Study)
December 7, 2001
AVI Bio Pharma, Inc. of Portland
Oregon, in a press release today, is reporting results of its
Phase II clinical trial of 55 pancreatic cancer patients treated
with its vaccine agent AVICINE alone OR in combination with gemcitabine.
The 1-year survival data for the AVICINE alone is reported as
similar to that of gemcitabine alone (note: generally considered
about 15-18%). In this portion of the study, patients apparently
had no significant vaccine-related side-effects.
The 1-year survival data for
the combination of AVICINE plus gemcitabine was significantly
improved at 30%.
Endostatin
Begins Phase II Study for Pancreatic Endocrine (Islet Cell) Tumors
November 28, 2001
EntreMed, Inc., announced the
initiation of Phase II clinical trials against pancreatic endocrine
(sometimes called neuroendocrine or islet cell) tumors with its
anti-angiogenesis agent, Endostatin. The study is looking to
enroll 32 patients and will be coordinated by Dana-Farber/Partners
CancerCare in Boston, Massachusetts (which includes a consortium
involving Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s
Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital). Patients are given
the option to receive pre-filled syringes of Endostatin and allowed
to self-administer this treatment in their own homes. In August
of this year, the FDA granted Endostatin orphan status for use
against these kinds of neuroendocrine tumors.
PanCAN
Sponsors PC Awareness Month (November, 2001)
November 10, 2001
The Pancreatic Cancer Action
Network (PanCAN), is sponsoring an effort to have the governors
of all 50 U.S. states sign proclamations recognizing November,
2001 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. On November 17th,
PanCAN will host its fourth annual “An Evening with the
Stars” event in the Los Angeles area. For ticket information,
please call 877-2-PANCAN.
Neoadjuvant
Chemoradiation Study at M.D. Anderson
November 9, 2001
Researcher/clinicians at the
University of Texas / M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are hoping
to enroll up to 90 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma over
a two-year period to evaluate a chemoradiation neoadjuvant protocol.
The study involves the administration of the combination of gemcitabine
and cisplatin for two months, followed by two weeks of gemcitabine
and radiation therapy, followed by pancreatic surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy).
Prothecan
in Phase II Clinical Trials
November 8, 2001
Enzon Inc., reports that its
agent Prothecan (PEG-camptothecin), a topoisomerase I inhibitor,
is in Phase II clinical trials in patients with pancreatic cancer.
TNFerade
Gene Therapy Interim Phase I Results Reported as Encouraging
November 8, 2001
GenVec, Inc., presented data
in regard to interim Phase I clinical trials results of its agent
TNFerade, a gene therapy whereby a human tumor necrosis gene
is introduced directly into tumor via adenovector delivery, at
the annual meeting of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology
and Oncology in San Francisco on November 6, 2001. The company
indicated that the agent appeared to show a favorable toxicity
profile, and further that it appears that all seven of the patients
with solid tumors who were treated with the combination of TNFerade
and radiation showed shrinkage of tumor. Phase II trials are
expected to begin next year.
Irofulven
Phase II Survival Rate Results
November 7, 2001
MGI Pharma Inc., announced that
the results of a Phase II clinical trial aimed at determining
a six-month survival rate in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma
who had failed treatment with gemcitabine and were subsequently
treated with Irofulven, showed that 36 percent of the twenty-two
patients who received more than one course of such treatment
were alive at six months, as presented today at the Chemotherapy
Foundation Symposium in New York City.
SafeScience:
Now GlycoGenesys
November 6, 2001
SafeScience, Inc. announced today
that it has changed its name to GlycoGenesys, Inc..
Results
of Phase I Clinical Trials of Bay 43-9006
November 1, 2001
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and
Bayer Corporation indicated that the preliminary results of the
evaluation of an initial 40 patients from two ongoing Phase I
Clinical Trial studies (in Belgium and Canada) involving their
jointly-developed orally-administered Raf kinase inhibitor (an
enzyme in the Ras signaling pathway), BAY 43-9006, appeared to
be well-tolerated -- in data as presented at this year’s
annual AACR-NCI-EORTC conference (October 29 to November 2, 2001)
on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Miami, Florida.
IMC-C225:
Now Erbitux
November 1, 2001
The Imclone Systems Incorporated
and Bristol-Myers Squibb agent, IMC-C225, is now known as Erbitux.
Preliminary
Results of Ongoing Phase I/II Study of HuC242-DM1/SB-408075
November 1, 2001
Preliminary results evaluating
the initial 27 patients from the ongoing Phase I/II safety and
pharmacokinetic study of the Tumor-Activated Prodrug (TAP) huC242-DMI/SB-408075
against solid tumors (including four patients with pancreatic
cancer) at the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center,
were presented at this year’s annual AACR-NCI-EORTC conference
(October 29 to November 2, 2001) on Molecular Targets and Cancer
Therapeutics in Miami, Florida. According to ImmunoGen, Inc.,
these results indicate that the agent has thus far demonstrated
a favorable safety profile.
Phase
I: Exisulind and Irinotecan Combination Appears to be Well Tolerated
October 31, 2001
Dr. John Marshall of the Vincent
T. Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University Medical Center,
as lead investigator, indicated that he was “particularly
encouraged” in regard to the low level of certain side-effects
of the combination therapy utilizing the Cell Pathways and Pharmacia
agents, exisulind and irinotecan, in a Phase I study against
relapsed solid tumors in 14 patients in results as presented
at this year’s annual AACR-NCI-EORTC conference (October
29 to November 2, 2001) on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics
in Miami, Florida. Cell Pathways indicated that researchers did
not find any dose-limiting toxicity for any of the dose combination
levels which were tested.
Chemogenomics
Technology Progress Presented
October 30, 2001
Telik, Inc. of South San Francisco,
California has announced preliminary results as developed in
collaboration with the Arizona Cancer Center (University of Arizona)
regarding its proprietary unique TRAP chemogenomics technology
as are presented currently at this year’s annual AACR-NCI-EORTC
conference (October 29 to November 2, 2001) on Molecular Targets
and Cancer Therapeutics in Miami, Florida.
Three presentations are highlighted
by the company. One demonstrates how the TRAP technique identifies
molecular drug compounds which affect heat shock proteins; another
presents data about the use of TRAP by Arizona and Telik researchers
which resulted in the identification of potential inhibitors
of the genomics cancer target, STK15 (which may be related to
the development of pancreatic cancer); and a third outlines the
use of TRAP to more quickly identify potential inhibitors of
urokinase plasminogen activator and urokinase plasminogen activator
receptor (which may be related to the development of pancreatic
cancer).
According to the company, the
TRAP chemogenomics process provides for the “rapid and efficient
discovery of small molecule drug candidates by exploiting a fundamental
property of all drugs, which is their interaction with proteins.
By developing a profile of how a protein disease target interacts
with small molecules, Telik is able to select product candidates
for development more quickly than with alternative technologies.”
--Telik, Inc press release, October 30, 2001
http://www.telik.com/NewFiles/press.html
Gvax
Vaccine Begins Phase II Clinical Trial
October 23, 2001
Cell Genesys, Inc. has indicated
that a Phase II clinical trial utilizing the Gvax vaccine has
begun at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center for pancreatic cancer
patients who have had surgical resection of their cancer followed
by adjuvant radiotherapy plus chemotherapy (and who otherwise
meet protocol criteria). The Gvax agent includes irradiated tumor
cells which have been genetically induced to secrete the immuno-enhancing
hormone, GM-CSF. The trial is designed to enroll up to sixty
patients. A Cell Genesys spokesperson has indicated that a second
additional Phase II trial is planned to begin in early 2002 for
patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Tarceva
plus Gemcitabine Approved for Phase III Clinical Trials in Canada
October 18, 2001
The National Cancer Institute
of Canada Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG) has approved a Phase
III clinical trial against pancreatic cancer whereby the efficacy
of the OSI Pharmaceuticals agent Tarceva (OSI-774), an epidermal
growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, in combination with
gemcitabine will be compared to the efficacy of gemcitabine alone.
The trial will involve more than 30 medical centers in Canada
and approximately another 70 worldwide.
State
Senator Emily Couric Dies of Pancreatic Cancer
October 18, 2001
After a 15 month battle with
pancreatic cancer, Emily Couric, 54, died at her Virginia home
this morning. Ms. Couric, a mother of two, was a Virginia State
Senator and the sister of U.S. television personality, Katie
Couric.
COX-2
Expression in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
October 6, 2001
Researchers in Detroit (Merati,
et al) found that COX-2 was highly expressed in 53% of the tumors
from 120 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as reported
in the October edition of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology
(pps 447-452).
MEDLINE Link
Over-expression
of HER-2/neu in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
October 6, 2001
Researchers from Brown University
and Genentech, Inc. found that the HER-2/neu oncogene was over-expressed
in 21% of 154 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (by immunohistochemistry),
as reported in the October edition of the American Journal of
Clinical Oncology (pps 496-499). They suggest that therapeutic
evaluation of trastuzumab (Herceptin) with such patients may
be warranted.
MEDLINE Link
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