Eisai and Piqur Therapeutics to study new breast cancer drug combination

Eisai is partnering with Piqur Therapeutics to assess the benefits of using two breast cancer therapies in combination.

The landmark agreement will see the companies conduct a phase I/IIb clinical study to investigate Piqur's PQR309 in combination with Eisai's Halaven in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Scheduled to begin in early 2016, the initial phase I dose-escalation part of the study will assess the safety and tolerability of PQR309 combined with Halaven in patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-negative and triple-negative breast cancer.

Meanwhile, the phase IIb expansion part of the study will evaluate the efficacy of the combination therapy. In total, the research programme will enrol approximately 60 patients.

Dr Takashi Owa, chief innovation officer and vice-president for Eisai, said: "We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with Piqur Therapeutics, which has rapidly established itself as one of the leading experts in the field of PI3K/mTOR inhibitors."

This comes after the firm agreed new research collaborations with Sysmex and Charles River Laboratories earlier this month.