Sanofi-aventis publishes positive data on cancer drug Jevtana

Sanofi-aventis has published clinical trial data which demonstrates the effectiveness of its prostate cancer treatment Jevtana.

According to results from the phase III Tropic study published in the Lancet, a combination of Jevtana and prednisone can help to reduce the risk of fatality among metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients by 30 per cent.

These results underpinned the US Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve the treatment in June 2010, while the European Medicines Agency is also currently reviewing the drug.

It means that Jevtana is the first and only treatment which has been shown to deliver a significant survival benefit among patients who have proven unresponsive to docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

Dr Debasish Roychowdhury, senior vice-president and head of global oncology at Sanofi-aventis, said: "Sanofi-aventis Oncology is tackling cancer on all fronts to provide new solutions that make a difference in patients' lives."

Last week, the company published new clinical trial data for its type 2 diabetes treatment lixisenatide, illustrating its efficacy compared to placebo when combined with basal insulin.