- Progression-Free Survival Data to be Presented for Phase 2 Colorectal and Prostate Trials -
- Company to Hold Investor Event on Sunday, May 31 with Oncology Experts -
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Company will present new data from two ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials of picoplatin, the Company’s lead product candidate, at poster sessions during the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando. The Company will present results of picoplatin plus docetaxel/prednisone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant (hormone-refractory) prostate cancer (CRPC) and picoplatin plus 5-FU/leucovorin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).
Both presentations will include new, recently obtained, efficacy and safety data, including progression-free survival data, not reflected in the abstracts that will be posted on the ASCO Web site on Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The CRC presentation will be followed by an ASCO poster discussion.
Poster presentation details are as follows:
Poniard Investor Event
In addition to the picoplatin posters and presentation, Poniard will host an investor event, in Orlando, on Sunday, May 31, 2009. Presentations will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The event will feature presentations and discussion with expert oncologists, including Richard Goldberg, M.D., of the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, William Oh, M.D. of Harvard Medical School and David S. Ettinger, M.D. of the Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in addition to members of Poniard’s senior management team. For more information or to RSVP to the event, please email poniardir@burnsmc.com.
About Prostate Cancer
More than 1 million American men are currently living with prostate cancer and it is the second leading cause of death among men in the U.S. In 2008, an estimated 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., with an estimated 28,660 deaths (American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2009). CRPC is prostate cancer that continues to grow despite current standard of care hormonal (anti-androgen) therapies. CRPC is more invasive and more likely to spread to other organs than androgen dependent prostate cancers. Patients with CRPC have few treatment options and a poor prognosis.
About Colorectal Cancer
CRC is the third most common cancer in both American men and women, and the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. In 2009, an estimated 148,810 new cases of colon and rectal cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., with an estimated 49,960 deaths (American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2009). The current standard of care is associated with significant side effects including neuropathy, which can limit its use and result in its discontinuation. Effective first-line, neuropathy sparing treatment for CRC is a major unmet medical need.
About Picoplatin
Picoplatin is designed to overcome platinum resistance associated with chemotherapy in solid tumors. Study data to date suggest that it has an improved safety profile relative to existing platinum-based cancer therapies. More than 1,100 patients have received picoplatin. Results obtained to date suggest manageable hematologic adverse events with less severe kidney toxicity (nephrotoxicity) and nerve toxicity (neurotoxicity) than is commonly observed with other platinum chemotherapy drugs. Picoplatin has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in a variety of solid tumors. It is being studied in multiple cancer indications, treatment combinations and by two routes of administration.
About Poniard Pharmaceuticals
Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative oncology products to impact the lives of people with cancer. Picoplatin, the Company’s lead platform product candidate, is a new generation platinum chemotherapy. Clinical trials of intravenous picoplatin include a Phase 3 trial in small cell lung cancer and Phase 2 trials in metastatic colorectal and castration-resistant (hormone refractory) prostate cancers. The Company also is conducting a clinical trial of oral picoplatin in solid tumors. For additional information please visit http://www.poniard.com.
(C) 2009 Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Poniard and Poniard Pharmaceuticals are trademarks of Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Susan Neath, of Burns McClellan for Poniard Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., +1-212-213-0006, sneath@burnsmc.com; or Jani Bergan WeissComm
Partners for Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-415-946-1064,
jbergan@wcpglobal.com
Web site: http://www.poniard.com/
