MSD and Vertex announce initiation of phase II leukaemia drug trial

Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals have announced the initiation of a global phase II clinical trial of MK-0457 in patients with treatment resistant chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphocytic leukaemia (Ph plus ALL) with T3151 BCR-ABL.

MK-0457 is a small molecule inhibitor of Aurora, BCR-ABL, FLT-3 and JAK-2 kinases that was discovered in Oxford in the UK at a Vertex site. Clinical studies by that company have shown signs of tumour regression with potential for improved survival in acute myelocytic leukaemia.

On the start of the phase II trial, MSD will pay Vertex Pharmaceuticals a milestone payment of ?25 million (12.72 million pounds)

Stephen H Friend, executive vice president and franchise head of oncology and neuroscience at Merck Research Laboratories, said: “This pivotal trial based on a population prospectively defined by a genetic marker will hopefully represent a new paradigm for development of drugs targeting specific cancer patient populations.”

He added that the compound is the first pharmaceutical product that has shown clinical activity in patients with specific blood cancers that have been treatment specific.

The initiation of this phase II clinical trial follows the publication of “encouraging” phase I results earlier this month, with the company reporting the “potent” effect of MK-0457 in some patients.