Anyone follow these guys,NERX:Updated Data from Investigator-sponsored Phase I Trial of NeoRx's STR in Breast Cancer Patients Presented at the 2005 Tandem BMT Meetings
Monday February 14, 7:30 am ET
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2005--NeoRx Corporation (NASDAQ:NERX - News) today announced the presentation of updated data from an investigator-sponsored Phase I Trial of STR(TM), NeoRx's investigational bone-targeted radiotherapeutic, in patients with advanced breast cancer. The data were presented by Richard Champlin, M.D., chair of the Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at MD Anderson Cancer Center, at the 2005 Tandem BMT Meetings on Sunday, February 13 in Keystone, Colorado. The Tandem BMT Meetings are the joint meeting of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research.
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The Phase I dose-escalation study of STR involved six patients with stage IV breast cancer metastasized to the bone. Patients were administered STR as a single agent followed by autologous blood stem cell rescue. Two of the six patients remain alive, without progression of their disease up to six years post-transplant. Among the other four patients, the overall median time to disease progression was 10 months. Disease relapse in these four patients occurred in tissues outside the bone.
"We are encouraged to see continued duration of progression-free survival among two patients in this small study of STR," said Champlin. "We look forward to further investigation of the potential of STR among breast cancer patients as a treatment to destroy cancer cells that have spread to the bone and bone marrow."
Based on the results from this study, NeoRx plans to conduct a Company-sponsored Phase II Trial to examine STR in a larger group of breast cancer patients with bone metastases. The trial is currently scheduled to begin in mid-2005.
About STR
STR is an innovative cancer therapeutic that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells in the bone and bone marrow, thereby minimizing exposure of normal tissues to radiation. STR is composed of a bone-targeting molecule, DOTMP, in a stable complex with the radionuclide holmium-166. When injected into a patient's bloodstream, STR rapidly binds to bone mineral, delivering a brief, intense dose of radiation to destroy cancer cells in the bone and marrow. STR that does not bind to bone is rapidly eliminated from the body shortly after administration. STR treatment is followed by infusion of a patient's own previously collected blood stem cells to restore bone marrow function. NeoRx currently is conducting a pivotal Phase III Trial of STR in patients with multiple myeloma.
About NeoRx Corporation
NeoRx is a cancer therapeutics development company. The Company's product pipeline includes STR and NX 473, a next-generation platinum therapy that the Company plans to evaluate in the treatment of patients with advanced lung and colorectal cancers. For more information, visit www.neorx.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the development of the Company's products and strategic goals that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "plan," variations of such words, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect the Company's actual results include the availability of working capital and financing sources for the development of NeoRx's product candidates, the progress and costs of clinical trials and the timing of regulatory approvals, the availability of clinical materials from third-party suppliers, NeoRx's ability to manufacture STR in a timely and cost-effective manner, NeoRx's ability to successfully commercialize product candidates, and other risks and uncertainties described in NeoRx's current and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including NeoRx's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and Quarterly Report on Form 10- Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
NeoRx and STR are trademarks or registered trademarks of NeoRx Corporation in the United States and/or foreign countries.
© 2005 NeoRx Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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Contact:
NeoRx Corporation (Corporate Communications)
Julie Rathbun, 206-286-2517
jrathbun@neorx.com
or
Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates, Inc.
Jody Cain or Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
jcain@lhai.com or bvoss@lhai.com |
