Competitor info:
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Drug trials give hope for most important advance in breast cancer treatment for 25 years
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Dec. 11 /CNW/ - The following B-roll is available at
the listed times and co-ordinates:
DATE OF FEED: Wednesday, December 11, 2002
TIME OF FEED: 16:30 - 17:00(ET)
CO-ORDINATES: ANIK E2, C-Band, Transponder 3B, Audio 6.2 and 6.8
STORY SUMMARY: The latest stage in a trial to find an effective treatment
for breast cancer has given further evidence that a new drug could offer the
most important advance in 25 years.
The results of the ground-breaking trial were presented Wednesday 11th
December to an international group of cancer specialists attending a Breast
Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. The drug called anastrozole (trade
name 'Arimidex') has undergone several years of tests in the largest breast
cancer trial ever undertaken, involving nearly 10,000 patients.
STATIONS for live radio and television interviews (available in English,
German, Dutch and Spanish) with breast cancer experts attending the conference
please call David Dix or Paul Adams on +44(0)20 7454 5284 or email them at:
david.dix@prnewswire.co.uk or paul.adams@prnewswire.co.uk. For technical
information DURING the feed call CFA at (416) 504-5071.
As with all CNW Broadcast feeds, this release is offered for your free
and unrestricted news use. Comments regarding the content and quality are
welcomed.
THANK YOU. CNW BROADCAST
VIDEO NEWS RELEASE - 11 & 12 DECEMBER 2002
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ATAC TRIAL RESULTS - BREAST CANCER TREATMENT
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NOTE TO EDITORS:
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STRICTLY NO ACCESS IN OR TO THE USA
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IN THE UK, EMBARGOED UNTIL 0001 GMT THURSDAY 12 DECEMBER
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OUTSIDE USA AND UK EMBARGOED TO 2000GMT WEDNESDAY 11
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DECEMBER
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ATTN EDITORS: The following script is to accompany a Video News Release
from PR Newswire which will be available to broadcasters on the APTN Global
Video Wire as follows:
1. DATE: WEDNESDAY 11 DECEMBER 2002
TIME: 1830-1840GMT
2. DATE THURSDAY 12 DECEMBER 2002
TIME: 0300-0310GMT
STORY: NEW TREATMENT FOR EARLY BREAST CANCER - MAJOR TRIAL
RESULTS
SOUND: CH1 & CH2 NATURAL WITH ENGLISH SPEECH
DURATION: 7' 52"
SCRIPT: New data from the world's largest breast cancer trial has today
given further proof that a drug called anastrozole could offer the most
important 'early' breast cancer treatment advance in 25 years. The latest
results from the ATAC trial ('Arimidex', Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination)
were presented for the first time on December 11 to an international group of
breast cancer specialists attending a Symposium in San Antonio, Texas.
The ATAC trial involves over 9,300 postmenopausal women with early breast
cancer. The first major results, presented last year, have already shown that
anastrozole significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer recurring in these
patients and also significantly reduces many of the risks known to be linked
with the current 'gold standard', tamoxifen.
These latest results now show that after longer term treatment, for
nearly four years, anastrozole continues to show statistically significant
benefits over tamoxifen. In the trial, anastrozole reduced the risk of breast
cancer recurring by 14% compared to tamoxifen and was generally very well
tolerated. This is the first time that the proven benefits of tamoxifen have
been surpassed by another hormonal treatment in early breast cancer.
The fact that these benefits for anastrozole are now being shown with
longer-term treatment, with no new concerns about the drug's safety, is
particularly important as women being treated for early breast cancer are
often on hormonal treatments for these longer periods of time.
Tamoxifen has been in use since the early 1970s, helping to cut breast
cancer deaths by 25 per cent over the past decade and has long been considered
the 'gold standard' hormonal treatment. Anastrozole is the first and only drug
in over 25 years to show significant efficacy and tolerability benefits over
tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer.
Among those attending the symposium are the trial's Principal
Investigator, Professor Michael Baum and a leading investigator from Germany,
Professor Wolfgang Eiermann. Chairman of the Dutch Breast Cancer study group
Professor Dr Jan Klijn from the Academic Medical Centre, Rotterdam and the
Daniel den Hoed Cancer Centre will be available to explain the significance of
the research results.
SHOWS:
A. Interview with Professor Michael Baum, Principal Investigator, ATAC
Trial Dur: 2'16"
1. "Well breast cancer is a major problem worldwide, It's certainly the
commonest cancer amongst women in northern Europe and North America and other
parts of the world. And it's the commonest caused of death in an age group
where death is unusual- you don't expect women to die of other causes in the
age group 40 to 60."
2. "ATAC stand for Arimidex, Tamoxifen - Alone or in Combination. It's a
catchy title and there's an obvious subtext there, and many patients have
expressed their opinion that they are excited to be part of this 'attack' on
breast cancer."
3. "I think clinicians around the world, faced with a post-menopausal
woman, with a hormone receptor positive tumour, now have to give serious
consideration to using anastrozole as an alternative to tamoxifen."
4. "Simply counting up side effects - there is a significant reduction in
gynaecological symptoms - vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding, and also a
significant reduction in hot flushes, cold sweats and night sweats, all of
which we think indirectly impact on quality of life."
5. Set-up shot Professor Baum walking down corridor
6. Professor Baum holding breast scans up to light box
B. Interview with Professor Wolfgang Eiermann, ATAC Trial Investigator
Dur: 2' 26"
1. "We are very happy that these first, initial results of December last
year, are now mainly confirmed after one more year of observation time. The
initial results and the main end points are now completely confirmed. So we
even have in some way a little better expectation and an little better result
than has been one year before."
2. "After one year now - after presenting the data for the first time,
one year later, the data have been mainly confirmed that has been published
one year before.
3. "In disease-free survival that's what we call the time when delaying
the recurrence of the disease there were significantly less events, that means
recurrences, under the anastrozole arm when comparing it with tamoxifen or
when comparing it with the combination of both drugs."
4. "Due to the available data at the moment, we can say that the side
effects from anastrozole are different to that from Tamoxifen, and they are
less - they are different and they are less.
5. "For example also deep vein thrombosis and endometrial cancer, these
are the most striking points for the patient that is reduced from
anastrozole."
6. "By this reason we recommend now in our country, at least to a high
proportion of patients, to use anastrozole, or Arimidex, instead of
tamoxifen."
7. "On the other hand, there might have been some problems concerning
bone fractures, and bone mineral density loss, due to the suppression of
oestrogens performed by anastrozole."
8. "We have to inform the patient about the advantages and about the
disadvantages of a new drug, in this special situation about Arimidex, and
they are asking for it, and they will ask for it, because they will see - they
ask for less side effects, less complication rate, and so they will come to us
and ask for the drug. I'm quite sure about this."
C. B-roll
Dur: 2' 52"
1. Middle-aged women walking along street
2. Patient undergoing mammogram
3. Radiographer inspecting scans on light box and on computer screen
4. Pharmacist checking stock in hospital dispensary
5. Close-up box of Tamoxifen / hand opening box, pressing out pills
6. Anastrozole production line
7. Inspector watching production line
8. Woman stacking boxes of Arimidex (anastrozole)
9. Another patient undergoing mammogram
10. Women of various racial groups walking along city street
End of VNR.
For enquiries about the VNR, or to obtain a hard copy, please call Paul
Adams of PR Newswire, on +44 (0)20 7454 5184 or e-mail
paul.adams@prnewswire.co.uk
For media enquiries please contact Leslie Wheeler of AstraZeneca, on
mobile phone: +44 (0)7802 871218 or e-mail leslie.wheeler@astrazeneca.com
Visit www.cancerpressoffice.com
For more information about the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium visit
their website at sabcs.org
This initiative has been sponsored by a grant from AstraZeneca.
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For further information: CNW BROADCAST, TORONTO (416) 863-9350 |
