Poniard Pharmaceuticals has confirmed that it will continue to press ahead with its investigations into picoplatin this year.

The differentiated platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent is currently involved in clinical trials for a number of types of cancer and treatment combinations.

Poniard has already evaluated intravenous picoplatin in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer in its Phase 3 SPEAR trial, although the target of overall survival was not met.

It will now hold discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration in order to determine the appropriate regulatory path of advance in this area.

The biopharmaceutical firm is also assessing the drug in Phase 2 clinical trials in patients with both metastatic colorectal cancer and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Additional data from the first of these tests will be presented at the ASCO 2010 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in Orlando, Florida on 24th January.

Meanwhile, information from the second group of tests will be unveiled at the ASCO 2010 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium on 5th March in San Francisco, California.

"Our focus in 2010 is to secure a strategic partnership to continue the development of picoplatin as a preferred platinum agent in the treatment of solid tumour malignancies," commented Poniard Chairman and Chief Executive Jerry McMahon.

"We believe that current data from approximately 1,100 patients treated with picoplatin, including data from Phase 2 trials of picoplatin in colorectal, prostate and ovarian cancers, indicate that picoplatin would be a valuable addition to potential partners with marketed and development stage oncology products."

Mr McMahon added that efficacy and safety data from the Phase 3 SPEAR trial should be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in June.

Source:

Poniard Pharmaceuticals Announces 2010 Goals for Picoplatin (07/01/10)

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