Ipsen reports positive data from GEP-NET Somatuline trial

Ipsen has reported positive data from Elect, a phase III trial assessing its drug Somatuline in the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs).

Results presented at the recent Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco showed that the drug was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the number of days on which patients needed to use rescue medication, when compared to placebo.

Somatuline was also shown to significantly improved rates of complete/partial treatment success versus placebo, while the safety findings were consistent with previous studies.

Ipsen's drug is approved for use in the treatment of symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome in patients with neuroendocrine tumours in numerous territories, excluding the US, where it is marketed for acromegaly only.

Claude Bertrand, executive vice-president of research and development and chief scientific
officer of Ipsen, said: "The results observed in the multinational Elect study add to the body of evidence evaluating the efficacy and safety of Somatuline in the control of symptoms in GEP-NET patients with carcinoid syndrome."

This comes after the company announced the appointment of Jonathan Barnsley as its new executive vice-president in charge of technical operations earlier this month. He will take up the role in April 2014.