>>UNIONDALE, N.Y., March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSIP - news) today summarized research data from three poster presentations on the Company's lead anti-cancer drug, OSI-774, presented at the 92nd Annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. OSI-774 is being developed as a comprehensive, thorough global development program in collaboration with Genentech, Inc. and Roche.
In one of the poster presentations, Dr. Manuel Hidalgo, M.D., Ph.D., The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas reported that the Company's lead anti-cancer product, OSI-774, was shown to inhibit activation of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in clinical specimens from head and neck carcinoma patients undergoing treatment with the drug. Activation of EGFR signaling is implicated in many types of cancers including non-small cell lung (NSCLC), ovarian, and head and neck.
In this study, patients with EGFR positive, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and tumor lesions amenable to repetitive sampling received treatment with OSI-774 at its recommended trial dose of 150 mg/day. Tumor biopsies were performed prior to treatment and following 28 days of continuous oral dosing. Immunohistochemical evaluation of EGFR in these tumor specimens indicated that OSI-774 was able to inhibit EGFR activation in these patients supporting the putative mechanism of action of the drug.
OSI-774 is currently in Phase II clinical studies as a single agent for NSCL, head and neck and ovarian cancers. These studies have demonstrated a well tolerated safety profile and evidence of encouraging anti-cancer activity. Detailed updates on these trials will be presented at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) meeting in San Francisco from May 12 - 15, 2001.
Other OSI-774 poster presentations at the AACR conference included the following:
-- "Antiproliferative Effect of OSI-774, an inhibitor of Epidermal Growth
Factor Receptor (EGFR) Tyrosine Kinase, on Glioblastoma Multiforme
(GBM) Cells In Vitro," by Dr. Marc-Eric Halatsch, Department of
Neurosurgery, Georg-August University, Germany. The data in this study
indicated that OSI-774 inhibits the growth of cultured human glioma
cells. Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the clinical trials programs
on OSI-774 that will be considered through the National Cancer
Institute's Cancer Therapeutic Evaluation Program (CTEP).
-- "Probing EGFR Signaling in HN5 Squamous Carcinoma Using the Quinazoline
EGFR Inhibitor OSI-774 and Coupled Affinity Chromotography and Mass
Spectrometry," by Dr. John Haley, Senior Director of New Technology
Development, OSI Pharmaceuticals. The data in this study explored the
use of this sophisticated technique to probe EGFR signaling.<<
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