Schering-Plough: Long-term pegylated interferon therapy boosts relapse-free survival

Schering-Plough and the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) have announced the publication of positive phase III trial data for pegylated interferon alfa-2b therapy.

The treatment showed a significant and sustained impact on relapse-free survival in stage III melanoma patients in the largest ever positive adjuvant trial conducted in this patient group.

Results from the study were published in the Lancet.

According to the trial results, the risk of recurrence or death was reduced by 18 per cent at the 3.8 years median follow-up in patients administered with pegylated interferon alfa-2b compared to the observation arm.

Robert J Spiegel, chief medical officer and senior vice-president of Schering-Plough Research Institute, said: “Melanoma is considered the deadliest form of skin cancer and among the most difficult to treat.”

He added the results of this study are a key step in the development of enhanced evidence-based treatment options for these patients.

In October 2007, a study from the Institute of Cancer Research sponsored by Cancer Research UK revealed a damaged version of the RAS gene is responsible for the stimulation of growth in malignant melanomas.