Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer rumoured to license Antisoma drug

Antisoma, the British anti-cancer drug developer, could be set to accept a licensing deal for its new treatment in phase II development, AS1404, according to recent reports.

The company announced positive trial results for the drug in a study involving patients with ovarian cancer. Tumour response rates to AS1404 reached 75 per cent when the drug was used in conjunction with chemotherapy, as opposed to 63 per cent for patients receiving chemotherapy alone.

The strength of the results could make AS1404 an attractive proposition for larger pharmaceutical companies looking to expand their oncology pipelines.

With a high level of clinical need for such a drug, the Financial Times reports that some analysts believe companies like Pfizer, Roche, Genentech, ImClone and Bristol-Myers Squibb to be potential suitors.

Sam Fazeli, a PiperJaffray analyst, told the newspaper: “This product should attract a good licensing deal.”

He added that there is a strong possibility Antisoma may choose to complete a deal before the first quarter of next year.

AS1404 drug has also shown efficacy in treating lung and prostate cancers in earlier trials, according to Dr Michael Jameson of Waikato Hospital, Hamilton.

Glyn Edwards, Antisoma’s chief executive officer, remarked: “Ovarian cancer is a significant disease in its own right, and this latest news also adds further support to the idea that AS1404 has broad potential across a wide range of tumour types.”