Amgen presents positive phase III Vectibix results

Amgen has announced the results of a phase III clinical trial of Vectibix (panitumumab) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had failed chemotherapy regiments containing oxaliplatin, fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that the administration with the compound resulted in a lengthening of progression-free survival when compared to best supportive care.

Vectibix is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the growth and survival of cancer cells as it binds to epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors to prevent transforming growth factor alpha and EGF from doing so.

Professor Eric Van Cutsem of the digestive oncology unit at University Hospital Gasthuisberg, said: “Medical advances in the treatment of first- and second-line colorectal cancer have improved survival rates – however most patients develop resistance to these therapies, creating the need for an active agent to treat patients with advanced disease.”

He added that the results from the clinical study of Vectibix show that the compound can be beneficial to pre-treated patients.

Last November, Amgen said that the firm was encouraged by positive results of trials of its novel cancer treatment AMG 706, an orally-administered investigational VEGF inhibitor tested by patients with imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumours.