Amgen Leads Firms In Pancreatic Cancer Drug Chase

Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN ) is among several pharmaceutical companies working on a
treatment for pancreatic cancer, the deadly disease that recently felled both
Steve Jobs of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL ) and Nobel Prize-winning immunology expert
Ralph Steinman. Amgen is partnered with Japans Takeda on development of a drug
called ganitumab, which is a monoclonal antibody designed to block a chemical
signal that allows tumors to grow unimpeded. The drug targets type 1
insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R), which is vital to the regulation
of cell growth and survival. Amgen researchers hope that by suppressing IGF-1R
they can slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors and increase overall
survival in patients. Amgen started a Phase III study of ganitumab earlier this
year. Results of the 825-patient trial are due in October 2013. The drug also is
in earlier stages of testing for a variety of other cancers. In a mid-stage
study, patients who received the Amgen medication in addition to standard
pancreatic cancer therapy gemcitabine had an overall survival rate of 57% after
6 months, compared to 50% with gemcitabine alone. Gemcitabine was discovered and
developed by Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY ), although it is now generic. About 40,000
cases of pancreatic cancer occur annually in the U.S., and nearly as many people
will die of the disease this year. Worldwide, it's the fourth-most common
cause of cancer death. Survival rates are poor: for all stages combined, the
one- and 5-year relative survival rates are 25% and 6%, respectively. For
locally advanced and for mestatic pancreatic cancer, which accounts for more
than 80% of cases, survival is about 10 and 6 months, respectively. Surgery is
often not an option for patients with the tumors, given that most cases arent
discovered early enough, and only about one out of four patients can count on
gemcitabine to help their fight against the cancer, according to data from
PubMed Health. Other firms working on superior treatments against this deadly
killer include: • Korea-based developer KAEL-GemVax, with funding from Cancer
Research UK. The company has a vaccine, called GV1001, which is currently in
late-stage clinical trials at 53 hospitals in the U.K. It is being tested on
patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. • NewLink Genetics is attempting
to harness the immune system to attack pancreatic cancer with a late-stage
vaccine called HyperAcute Pancreas cancer immunotherapy. The Ames, Iowa-based
developer is conducting a Phase III trial to evaluate its vaccine in
approximately 700 Stage I and Stage II prostate cancer patients. NewLink has
received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations for adjuvant treatment of
pancreatic cancer after surgeries to remove tumor tissue. • GlobeImmune, a
Louisville, Colo.-based biopharmaceutical firm with a wealth of high-profile
investors, is developing a vaccine that targets pancreatic cancer caused by
mutated versions of a specific protein. • Cambridge, Mass.-based Merrimack
Pharmaceuticals is testing a formulation of the approved chemo drug irinotecan
that is encapsulated in tiny liposomal particles to improve its properties for
fighting cancer. In a recent Phase II trial, 40 pancreatic cancer patients on
the drug had a median overall survival of 22.4 weeks. And one in 5 survived for
more than a year, according to the company.