<Thursday July 21, 11:35 am ET
Dendreon Says Its Prostate Cancer Drug Extended Patients' Lives in Second Late-Stage Trial
SEATTLE (AP) -- Biotechnology company Dendreon Corp. said Thursday that a second late-stage trial of its experimental Provenge drug showed that the therapy extended the lives of prostate cancer patients.
The company's shares jumped 72 cents, or 11.6 percent, to $6.92 in morning trading on the Nasdaq. Its stock has traded in a 52-week range of $4.31 to $13.36, and has shed 36 percent so far this year.
The three-year study involved 98 men with advanced prostate cancer that had not responded to hormone treatment and whose cancer had spread to other parts of the body. Men who received the Dendreon drug showed a 20 percent improvement in median survival compared with those on a placebo, the company said.
In February, the company reported that another late-stage study of Provenge in 127 men showed a survival benefit.
An analysis combining data from the two trials showed a 23 percent increase in median survival of patient on Provenge versus a placebo, the company said.
"We plan to share all of the data collected to date from our clinical studies of Provenge with the FDA to determine the most efficient pathway for bringing Provenge to market," said President and Chief Executive Mitchell H. Gold.
Provenge, which has FDA "fast track" status, incorporates a protein found in 95 percent of prostate cancer cells to train the immune system to attack the disease.>>
Dendreon have moved closer to being the first cancer vaccine to reach approval . Once treatments like this come to market they could be looking for drugs like Coramsine that can be used in combination at full strength without adversely affecting the vaccine .
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SBP
solbec pharmaceuticals limited
