Sanofi-Aventis presents S-1 anticancer results

Sanofi-Aventis has presented the results of a phase III clinical study investigating its orally administered anticancer agent S-1. The results were announced at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium held last week in Orlando, Florida.

The trial showed that S-1 reduced the relative risk of death in patients with early-stage gastric cancer by 32 per cent when compared to treatment with surgery alone.

Previously, based on the first interim efficacy analysis conducted in June 2006, it was advised by the data and safety monitoring committee that the study of the compound be halted.

Sanofi-Aventis reported that the steering committee at the symposium granted the S-1 abstract a public health exception.

“In the case of a public health exception, the research data should be made public as soon as possible so that physicians and patients may immediately begin to make treatment decisions based on the new information,” it added.

This exception applies in those countries where the compound has been approved by the relevant regulatory authorities.

Sanofi-Aventis recently announced its intention to contest in court the decision by the ministry of health in Germany to ratify the recommendation of the country’s federal joint committee in classifying Acomplia (rimonbant) as a non-reimbursable “comfort” drug.