Bayer HealthCare reports positive prostate cancer drug trial data

Bayer HealthCare has announced positive data from Alsympca, a pivotal phase III trial of its new prostate cancer therapy radium 223 dichloride.

Results from the study showed that the agent delivered overall survival benefits for castration-resistant prostate cancer patients with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease.

The compound reduced the risk of death among this patient group by 30.5 percent compared to placebo, thus meeting its primary efficacy endpoint in the trial.

Radium 223 dichloride is approved for use in the US under the name Xofigo, with a marketing authorisation application having been submitted to the European Medicines Agency last December.

Lead investigator Dr Christopher Parker, consultant in clinical oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital, said: "This data showing significantly improved overall survival, regardless of prior treatment with chemotherapy, adds to our knowledge about the potential use and benefit of radium 223 in these patients."

Earlier this month, the company began a new phase III clinical trial to assess its haemophilia A therapy BAY 94-9027 among paediatric patients.