Survival will out
Dendreon Corp. had its sights set on obtaining approval of its Provenge immunotherapy to treat only those prostate cancer patients with Gleason scores of 7 or less after the compound missed the primary endpoint in a broader patient population in the company's first Phase III trial. But 36-month survival data from the trial may be enough to let the company return to its original patient population of advanced prostate cancer patients, regardless of Gleason score.
Gleason is a histological measurement of the aggressiveness of a patient's tumor; scores range from two to 10, with a lower number representing a less aggressive tumor. According to Mitchell Gold, president and CEO, about 75% of all hormone-resistant prostate cancer patients have a Gleason score of seven of less. He estimated the total U.S. hormone-resistant prostate cancer population at about 120,000...