Poniard Pharmaceuticals yesterday (22nd October) announced that it has received positive results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of picoplatin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

The platinum agent is designed to defeat resistance associated with chemotherapy for solid tumours and has a better safety profile than other platinum-based cancer treatments.

Now the biopharmaceutical firm has revealed that its incremental data from the latest tests suggest that using picoplatin can reduce the severity and regularity of neurotoxicity in comparison to using oxaliplatin.

Richard Goldberg, Associate Director of Clinical Research at the University of North Carolina Comprehensive Centre and a member of Poniard's clinical advisory board, said: "Picoplatin appears to be an active platinum in colorectal cancer without the neurotoxicity of the other active platinum agents. These early results may support a Phase 3 trial."

The treatment involves giving patients picoplatin once every four weeks in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin (the FOLPI regimen), as opposed to oxaliplatin's delivery alongside 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in the modified FOLFOX-6 regimen.

The tests revealed that just 18 per cent of FOLPI-treated patients demonstrated low-grade neurotoxicities, in comparison to 65 per cent for the FOLFOX-treated patients.

Robert De Jager, Chief Medical Officer at Poliard, added: "These interim, proof-of-concept Phase 2 colorectal cancer study results are encouraging and continue to suggest the potential of picoplatin as a neuropathy-sparing first-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer."

The latest findings add to those presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology back in May.



Source:

Poniard Announces Positive Incremental Efficacy and Safety Data from Phase 2 Picoplatin Trial in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (22/10/08)
http://investor.poniard.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=342348


Other references on Platinum Today:

http://www.platinum.matthey.com/media_room/poniard_gets_cash_injection_for_picoplatin_tests_18764089.html

http://www.platinum.matthey.com/media_room/results_of_platinum-based_chemo_trials_announced_18619111.html

Poniard announces Phase two data from picoplatin test
http://www.platinum.matthey.com/media_room/1208962810.html