Amgen reveals positive data from Nplate study

Amgen has highlighted positive new data from a clinical trial of its chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treatment Nplate.

The study, results from which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, aimed to compare the efficacy of Nplate among non-splenectomised adult ITP patients with the current standard of care.

It was found that Amgen's therapy was associated with a significantly lower incidence of treatment failure than the alternative, while those receiving the standard of care required splenectomies at an earlier stage.

The findings demonstrate that Nplate met its co-primary efficacy endpoints in the study, while also achieving secondary targets such as improvements in platelet count and platelet response.

Professor Mathias Rummel, head of haematology at the Hospital of the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, said: "Nplate may offer the potential for long-term effective treatment in patients who wish either to avoid or defer a splenectomy."

Nplate was highlighted by Amgen in its most recent financial report as seeing an improved rate of sales in the third quarter of 2010.