LUND, SWEDEN--(Marketwire - September 20, 2011) -
The Journal of Clinical Oncology
(http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/recent) has published an article*
presenting results from a controlled clinical Phase II study in 201
evaluable
patients of Active Biotech's (NASDAQ OMX Nordic: ACTI) prostate cancer
project
TASQ.
It was concluded in the study that TASQ significantly slowed disease progression and improved Progression Free Survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), alongside an acceptable side effect profile. Six month progression free proportion of patients for TASQ and placebo treatment groups were 69% and 37%, respectively (p < 0.0001), with a median PFS of 7.6 vs. 3.3 months (p = 0.0042).
Enrollment of patients to a pivotal Phase III trial was initiated in March 2011. The Phase III study is a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled study in patients with metastatic CRPC. The aim of the study is to confirm TASQ's effect on the disease, with radiological PFS as the primary endpoint and overall survival as secondary endpoint. The planned study will include about 1,200 patients in more than 250 clinics.
Active Biotech AB (publ) Tomas Leanderson President & CEO
*Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of
Tasquinimod in
Men With Minimally Symptomatic Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate
Cancer
Pili, R.,, Häggman, M., Stadler. W., Gingrich, J., Assikis, V.,
Björk, A.,
Nordle, Ö., Forsberg, G., Carducci, M., Armstrong, A.
Notes to editors
About TASQ
The development of TASQ is principally focused on the treatment ofprostate cancer. TASQ is an antiangiogenic compound, meaning that it cuts off the supply of nutrients to the tumor. Studies have concluded that TASQ exhibits anti- tumor activity via inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. The up-regulation of the antiangiogenic protein thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) is a part of this mechanism. It was announced in December 2009 that the primary endpoint of the Phase II clinical study, to show a higher fraction of patients with no disease progression during the six-month period of treatment using TASQ, had been met.
Active Biotech AB (NASDAQ OMX NORDIC: ACTI) is a biotechnology company
with
focus on autoimmune/inflammatory diseases and cancer. Projects in pivotal
phase
are laquinimod, an orally administered small molecule with
unique
immunomodulatory properties for the treatment of multiple sclerosis,
TASQ for
prostate cancer and ANYARA for use in cancer targeted therapy,
primarily of
renal cell cancer. In addition, laquinimod is in Phase II
development for
Crohn's and Lupus. Further projects in clinical development comprise
the two
orally administered compounds, 57- 57 for Systemic Sclerosis as
well as
RhuDex™ for RA. Please visit www.activebiotech.com for more
information.
Active Biotech AB (Corp. Reg. No. 556223-9227) Box 724, SE-220 07 Lund Tel: +46 46 19 20 00 Fax: +46 46 19 11 00
Active Biotech is required under the Financial Instruments Trading Act to
make
the information in this press release public. The information was submitted
for
publication at 08:30 a.m. CET on September 20, 2011.
Active Biotech?s Prostate Cancer Project TASQ Featured in JCO:
http://hugin.info/1002/R/1548081/475708.pdf
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Source: Active Biotech via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1548081]
For further information, please contact
Tomas Leanderson
President & CEO
Tel: +46 46 19 20 95
Email Contact
