In what could be good news for Abbott Laboratories, an experimental prostate cancer drug is showing promise in its laboratory and patient studies after a highly publicized setback a year ago.Abbott had been in the final stage of human trials for the drug Atrasentan until the company was forced to halt a key clinical trial last year. The drug was failing to slow progression of the disease in patients with end-stage prostate cancer.This weekend, however, Abbott and cancer researchers from outside the company are scheduled to present data that show the drug is promising for the sickest of cancer patients. The data will include the study of more than 1,000 men with end-stage prostate cancer that has spread.Abbott wouldn’t comment on the data, which will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in New Orleans.
