Abbott Labs ABT-874 for Treatment of Crohn’s Disease

On November 11, 2004 the results of an Abbott Labs Phase 2 Crohn’s disease clinical trial examining the safety and efficacy of ABT-874 were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. , ABT-874 is a monoclonal antibody designed to target interleukin-12 (IL-12). The authors concluded that treatment with ABT-874 may have caused clinical responses [...]

Sanofi-Synthelabo’s Eloxatin for Postsurgical Treatment of Stage III Colon Cancer

On November 5, 2004 Sanofi-Synthelabo’s Eloxatin™ (oxaliplatin for injection) received US FDA approval for use in combination with conventional chemotherapy (5-flurouracil and leukovorin) for the postsurgical treatment of stage III colon cancer patients. According to the company, this is the first new chemotherapy approval for the adjuvant treatment of colon cancer in over a decade. [...]

Lorus Therapeutics GTI-2040 for Colon Cancer

On May 4, 2004 Lorus Therapeutics Inc. reported that it had initiated a clinical trial of GTI-2040 involving patients with advanced unresectable colon cancer. GTI-2040 was administered in combination with FDA approved chemotherapies capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Capectiabine is a first-line therapy while oxaliplatin is approved for use with 5 fluorouracil/ Leucovorin. This study is one [...]

Erbitux

On Feb 12, 2004, ImClone Systems Incorporated and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced that the FDA approved the Erbitux (cetuximab) Injection for use in combination with irinotecan in the treatment of certain colorectal cancer patients. Particularly, Erbitux has been approved for patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) expressing, metastatic colorectal cancer who are refractory [...]

Avastin

n early December 2003, Genentech announced that the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Avastin (bevacizumab) as a first line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer had been submitted to the FDA. Genentech requested and received a ‘Priority Review’ designation.