GSK reports ‘encouraging’ Tyverb results

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced positive phase II trial results for Tyverb (lapatinib) in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

The company said Tyverb showed single agent activity and improvement in response to the subsequent chemoradiation when compared to placebo in advanced squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Tyverb is an orally-administered small molecule which acts as a dual-targeted therapy working intracellularly to inhibit both the EGFR and ErbB2 (HER2) receptor proteins.

GSK said the results from the trial, which were presented during the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology, marked a key step in the development of the compound in this indication.

Paolo Paoletti, senior vice-president of oncology research and development at the company, said: “These results show that the use of a dual tyrosine-kinase inhibitor like lapatinib may be clinically relevant not just in breast cancer, but maybe in other tumours such as head and neck cancer where EGFR is overexpressed.”

He added that GSK is committed to the development of lapatinib in this indication through its global phase III trial which hopes to set a new standard of care and boost patient survival.

In June 2008, GSK announced that Tyverb had received marketing authorisation in the European Union as a treatment for breast cancer.