CTI's troubled Xyotax is now Opaxio
Xyotax, Cell Therapeutics' treatment for lung cancer, has a new name -- Opaxio.
As Xyotax, Cell Therapeutics' therapy had a rough run.
Touted as a treatment that could potentially extend survival among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and possibly make Cell Therapeutics profitable, the results of three clinical trials released in 2005 showed that the treatment did not, in fact, extend survival.
Picture
Since then, Cell Therapeutics has shifted its strategy for Xyotax. The late-stage studies did show that the drug prolonged survival among women. In addition, the frequency of toxic side effects was lower among both men and women taking Xyotax, compared with those taking standard chemotherapy.
The company has pushed ahead with its development of Xyotax by focusing on those two benefits.
With hopes of going to the FDA for approval, Cell Therapeutics started a clinical trial last September to measure Xyotax's effects in women with lung cancer. However, the company limited enrollment in the trial earlier this year amidst a round of cost-cutting.
In March, Cell Therapeutics asked European regulators to approve the drug on the basis that while Xyotax resulted in comparable survival to other lung cancer treatments, it had fewer side effects and was more convenient to administer. European regulators agreed to review the drug in April (read a post on that news here: blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com.
And today, Cell Therapeutics said that "it had received a positive opinion" from European regulators on the name change.
UPDATE: I e-mailed CTI Spokesman Dan Eramian who explained that, "There was an existing drug in Europe which the Europeans felt sounded too close to 'Xyotax' so they asked us for a new marketing name."
blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com |
