Genta Cites Leukemia Successes
By PETER LOFTUS
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
September 20, 2005
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In Genta's study of Genasense for patients with CLL, a smaller proportion of patients taking Genasense in combination with chemotherapy had a relapse, compared with patients who had chemotherapy alone, the company said.
"Extended follow-up has shown that most patients treated with chemotherapy alone have relapsed, whereas the remissions achieved by adding Genasense are continuing to prove quite durable," Kanti Rai, the trial's principal investigator, said in a Genta news release. "These emerging differences have translated into real clinical benefit for patients."
Genta's development of Genasense has been troubled. Last year, an FDA panel declined to approve Genasense for treatment of people with advanced skin cancer, or melanoma. And the company later said a study of Genasense in patients with advanced multiple myeloma failed to show significant improvement over standard therapy.
Earlier this year, Genta and Sanofi-Aventis terminated their development and commercial collaboration for Genasense. Aventis wanted to end the partnership partly due to the FDA committee's rejection of Genasense for treatment of melanoma.
As of 4 p.m. composite trading yesterday on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Genta was at $1.85, up 57 cents, or 45%.
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