Bristol-Myers Squibb presents ERBITUX phase III trial results

Bristol-Myers Squibb has unveiled the outcome of two phase III clinical studies into its metastatic colorectal cancer treatment ERBITUX (cetuximab).

They show that, when administered with FOLFIRI, an overall increase in median survival rates was experienced in an intent-to-treat population of first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) patients.

FOLFIRI alone yielded an 18.6 month average survival timeframe, while a mixture of the two drugs extended this to 19.9 months.

Some of the adverse side-effects recorded by the study included infusion reactions, dermatologic toxicity, sepsis, renal failure, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary embolus.

ERBITUX has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a single agent for the treatment of MCRC after the failure of both irinotecan and oxaliplatin-based regimens.

In other news, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced plans last week to sell some of its OTC assets in the Asia Pacific region to Taisho Pharmaceutical.