US company Pharmion has announced that it has been given the go-ahead to continue a trial of its platinum-based drug, satraplatin.

It said that the independent Data Monitoring Board recommended that the trial should continue to completion.

The drug is used in second-line chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

"We are on track to see results from this study by this fall, and if the results are positive, we are planning to file a marketing authorization application early next year," said the firm's president and chief executive, Patrick Mahaffy.

Satraplatin is an investigational drug, which is part of the platinum family of compounds.

Platinum-based drugs have become a crucial part of chemotherapy treatments that are used today. They are also used to treat a number of different cancers.

Satraplatin is a new type of platinum-based drug in that it is the first that can be taken as a capsule, meaning patients can take them home.

Platinum drugs currently available have to be administered intravenously.

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