BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Aphton cancer news

May 16, 2005 7:00 AM UTC

APHT restructured and will reduce its headcount by 35% to about 80 from 120. The company will discontinue development of Insegia (G17DT) to treat pancreatic cancer and will withdraw its monotherapy marketing applications in Switzerland, Canada and Australia. APHT will seek partners for the compound. In Feb., Insegia missed the primary endpoint of overall survival in a Phase III trial to treat pancreatic cancer (BioCentury Extra, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005).

APHT will continue to develop IGN101, a cancer vaccine that is in a Phase II/III trial to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); IGN311, a MAb targeting the Lewis Y antigen that is in a Phase I trial to treat epithelial cancer; and preclinical programs for a gastrin radioligand and other gastrin MAbs. Results from the Phase II/III trial of IGN101 are expected in 2007. APHT also will continue its work on a humanized monoclonal antibody that is being optimized by Xoma Ltd. (XOMA, Berkeley, Calif.) to treat gastrin-sensitive cancers. ...