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ArQule Announces Initiation Of Clinical Programs With ARQ 197 In Germ Cell Tumors And Colorectal Cancer

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology | GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology | Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 07 Feb 2010

ArQule, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) announced the initiation of a Phase 2, single agent trial with ARQ 197 in germ cell tumors (GCT), including testicular and non-central nervous system (non-CNS) tumors, and a Phase 1/2 clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety of ARQ 197 administered in combination with irinotecan and cetuximab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who possess the wild-type form of the KRAS gene.

ARQ 197 is an orally available, small molecule inhibitor of the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase. The trials will be conducted by Daiichi Sankyo Pharma Development, a division of Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., the co-developer of ARQ 197 outside of certain territories in Asia.

Germ Cell Trial

The primary aim of this trial is to determine the objective response rate in patients with relapsed or refractory GCT treated with ARQ 197. Secondary objectives include determination of progression free survival, overall survival, and safety and tolerability of ARQ 197 in this population.

"The c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase is expressed in human testicular tissue, and analysis of archived testicular tumor specimens at ArQule has confirmed its presence in two thirds of tumor samples," said Dr. Brian Schwartz, chief medical officer of ArQule. "Further, early clinical evidence suggests that inhibition of c-Met with ARQ 197 has anti-cancer activity in this tumor type. These data cumulatively provide a sound rationale for testing ARQ 197 in a Phase 2 clinical setting."

About Germ Cell Tumors

Among men between ages 15 and 35, GCT represent the most common malignancy diagnosed in the United States each year. Despite overall high cure rates, up to 30% of patients with advanced GCT will not be cured with initial chemotherapy with or without surgery. Due to their young age at diagnosis, death from testicular cancer represents the single greatest source of life years' lost of any non-childhood malignancy. No standard therapy exists to provide disease control in patients following failure of high-dose chemotherapy.

Colorectal Trial

The ARQ 197 combination trial in colorectal cancer will consist of two stages. Pending the successful completion of the Phase 1 safety run-in portion of the trial, the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 portion of the trial will be initiated, comparing ARQ 197 in combination with irinotecan and cetuximab to placebo with the same two drugs. The primary objective of Phase 2 will be progression-free survival.

"We believe the addition of ARQ 197 to an existing combination therapy regimen for CRC may improve patient outcomes," said Dr. Brian Schwartz, chief medical officer of ArQule. "In pre-clinical studies, ARQ 197 has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer activity against multiple human cancer xenograft models, including CRC."

About Colorectal Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, CRC is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S. It was projected to cause nearly 50,000 deaths during 2009. Standard treatments for CRC include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapy.

Phase 1 or 2 trials with ARQ 197 are ongoing in non-small cell lung cancer, c-Met sarcoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, germ cell tumors and colorectal cancer. Patients, their families, physicians and other healthcare professionals seeking information about trials with ARQ 197 may call 1-800-373-7827, consult the Clinical Trials section on ArQule's web site, http://www.arqule.com, or log on to ClinicalTrials.gov, a web site of the U.S. National Institutes of Health: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About ARQ 197

ARQ 197 is a selective inhibitor of c-Met, a receptor tyrosine kinase. When abnormally activated, c-Met plays multiple roles in aspects of human cancer, including cancer cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Pre-clinical data have demonstrated that ARQ 197 inhibits c-Met activation in a range of human tumor cell lines and shows anti-tumor activity against several human tumor xenografts. In clinical trials to date, treatment with ARQ 197 has been well tolerated and has resulted in tumor responses and prolonged stable disease across broad ranges of tumors and doses.

On December 19, 2008, ArQule and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. signed a license, co-development and co-commercialization agreement to co-develop ARQ 197 in the U.S., Europe, South America and the rest of the world, excluding Japan, China (including Hong Kong), South Korea and Taiwan, where Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. has exclusive rights for development and commercialization.

Source
ArQule

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ArQule Announces Initiation Of Clinical Programs With ARQ 197 In Germ Cell Tumors And Colorectal Cancer

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