Bayer HealthCare and Orion to develop prostate cancer drug

Bayer HealthCare is allying with Orion Corporation on the development of ODM-201, an investigational novel oral androgen receptor inhibitor.

The compound, which is in clinical development for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer, will be assessed in a clinical phase III programme aimed at further evaluating its efficacy and safety in treating non-metastatic castration-resistant forms of the disease.

Both companies will help to organise this trial programme later this year, with Bayer contributing a major share of the costs of future development. It will then commercialise ODM-201 globally, with Orion holding an option to co-promote the drug in Europe.

This will complement Bayer's existing prostate cancer portfolio, which includes products such as the approved therapy Xofigo.

Dr Joerg Moeller, member of the Bayer HealthCare executive committee and head of global development, said: "We see in ODM-201 a potential new treatment for patients with high-risk non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and are looking forward to developing this promising compound."

This comes after the firm commenced a study assessing Xofigo in a new indication for treating symptomatic or mildly symptomatic chemotherapy-naive patients with bone-predominant metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer earlier this year.