Bayer Healthcare announces Nexavar trial results

Bayer Healthcare has announced that a Phase III trial of Nexavar for patients with advanced relapsed or refractory non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer whose disease improved after a few treatments found the drug did not meet its primary goal of improving survival.

The safety and tolerability results observed in patients were largely as expected, according to the company.

However, an improvement in the secondary endpoint of progression-free survival was observed against placebo.

"While we are disappointed that the primary endpoint was not met, we believe the study results will advance the scientific knowledge in lung cancer," said Dr Dimitris Voliotis, vice-president of Global Clinical Development Oncology at Bayer HealthCare.

The study was conducted on a global basis, involving patients in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Bayer HealthCare's cannabis-based multiple sclerosis drug Sativex is to be assessed in an upcoming trial testing its potential to reduce cancer pain.