Via: Oncomed
MADRID and REDWOOD CITY, Calif, Sept. 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, presented safety and efficacy data from two Phase 1b clinical trials of demcizumab (anti-DLL4, OMP-21M18) in pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2014 Congress in Madrid, Spain.
Results from the Phase 1b studies demonstrate that demcizumab, in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy, is well tolerated, especially in patients where the company's risk mitigation, monitoring and truncated dosing strategies have been employed. Encouraging tumor response rates were presented at ESMO from a study of demcizumab with gemcitabine or gemcitabine plus Abraxane® (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectible suspension) (albumin bound) in patients with first-line pancreatic cancer, and from the study of demcizumab plus pemetrexed and carboplatin for the first-line treatment of Stage III/IV NSCLC. OncoMed's Phase 1b studies identified the demcizumab dosing schedules for the company's planned randomized Phase 2 proof-of-concept trials.
"As we advance to Phase 2 clinical trials of demcizumab, we have successfully identified strategies that result in both favorable tolerability and compelling response rates," said Jakob Dupont, M.D., OncoMed's Chief Medical Officer. "To date, sixty-four patients have been enrolled and treated on the demcizumab truncated dosing schedule that will be used in our randomized Phase 2 studies. The majority of these patients have now been followed for greater than 100 days without any moderate-to-severe cardiopulmonary toxicities and a number of patients remain on treatment."
"Based on the data generated from our Phase 1b studies in pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer we have identified a dosing regimen with impressive anti-tumor activity and an acceptable safety profile. We have confidence that these data enable the advancement of both programs into planned randomized Phase 2 studies in pancreatic cancer and NSCLC. Results from our Phase 1b demcizumab program not only signal the potential safety and anti-tumor activity for this drug, but also provide encouragement for the potential of an anti-cancer stem cell hypothesis," said Paul J. Hastings, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Read More: http://investor.shareholder.com/oncomed/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=873324
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