Keryx Trial Show Drug Improves Survival In Colon Cancer

dianetavegia
dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
* JANUARY 25, 2010, 9:09 A.M. ET

Keryx Trial Show Drug Improves Survival In Colon Cancer



DOW JONES NEWSWIRES



Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (KERX) said its experimental cancer drug helped hold off disease progress and improve overall survival in patients with advanced colon cancer, according to updated results from a midstage trial.

Shares rose 12.4% premarket at $3.08, while U.S.-traded shares in Keryx's Canadian partner, Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (AEZ.T, AEZS) added 6.5% to 99 cents.

The treatment was licensed by Keryx from Aeterna in North America.

Keryx Chief Executive Ron Bentsur said, "It has been several years since any drug candidate has shown a robust advantage across all key efficacy parameters" in such patients, adding that the company expects to finalize the design of late-stage trials with the Food and Drug Adminstration within the next three months.

The drug was given fast-track status by the FDA last month to treat a kind of cancer in white blood cells, and in September, the FDA also granted the treatment orphan status, which is reserved for new therapies for diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the country. It gives drug developers seven years of market exclusivity.

In updated results from the study, Keryx said the drug, taken with a capecitabine, a kind of chemotherapy, showed a statistically significant advantage in time to progression and overall survival, as well as the percentage of patients with disease stability lasting two weeks or more. It showed greater than 60% improvement in overall survival, a more than doubling of median time to progression, and almost a doubling of the percentage of patients with stable-disease status.

The company said the drug was well tolerated, with the most common adverse side effects being anemia, fatigue, abdominal pain and hand-foot syndrome, which is a skin reaction from chemotherapy.



-By Joan E. Solsman, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2291; joan.solsman@dowjones.com

Comments

  • vchildbeloved
    vchildbeloved Member Posts: 133
    #2
    That's wonderful news
    That's wonderful news Diane.

    Best wishes, Valerie
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #3
    Stocks and bondage
    Sometimes we can learn a lot, by looking beyond the hype:

    ----------

    "Short-Term: Buy… Long-Term: Sell

    Take Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: KERX), for example…

    In response to my column on the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference
    last week, I received a couple of questions about the prospects
    for Keryx. So I made sure I got myself into a private lunch with
    the management team and investors.

    The investors were intrigued by the story, but weren’t especially
    enthusiastic or receptive about putting money into the stock.

    At the moment, the firm is progressing with clinical trials for
    KRX-0401 and Zerenex. It’s quite possible that both will see
    positive Phase II results in the near future.

    However, I’m not convinced that Zerenex will be a huge commercial
    success if it’s approved. Compared to Genzyme’s (Nasdaq: GENZ)
    Renagel, Zerenex seems like a “me too” drug, but without enough
    benefits to differentiate itself.

    I still need to do more work on the company, but my initial
    impression is that while I think KERX could be an interesting
    short-term buy opportunity, it could also be an interesting
    short-sell if Zerenex gets approved.

    In other words, Keryx is likely not Mr. Right, but could be Mr. Right Now."


    Credit: http://seekingalpha.com/
    ----------

    The money usually goes where the best return will be. Note the
    product "Zerenex", and the fact it is closer to being "approved".

    I get so sick of seeing these "new drugs" coming into view, and
    getting cancer victims into a stir, when it's just "forward looking"
    reports from those that want to make big bucks in the stock market.

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