Disappointments for AstraZeneca as Recentin fails in Ph II/III and for Roche/Biogen as RA drug crelizumab causes deaths

Drug majors AstraZeneca and Roche, with partner Biogen Idec, suffered setbacks in late-stage drug developments as the former saw its cancer drug Recentin (cediranib) fail to meet primary endpoints, while for the Swiss firm an independent Crelizumab RA & Lupus Data and Safety Monitoring Board advised that treatment with its ocrelizumab should be halted because the drug had caused deaths.

Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca announced the top-line results of a Phase II/III study evaluating Recentin compared with Avastin (bevacizumab) in patients with first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study, HORIZON III, assessed the efficacy of cediranib compared with bevacizumab, both in combination with chemotherapy. Clinical activity was observed in the cediranib arm of the study but there was no statistically-significant difference between treatment arms on the efficacy endpoints examined. However, the efficacy did not meet the pre-specified criteria for the primary endpoint of non-inferiority in progression-free survival, the company said. The spectrum of adverse events associated with cediranib was broadly consistent with previous studies. HORIZON III continues with ongoing collection of overall survival data.

Future of the cancer drug still to be decided