New data on Merck and Endocyte’s vintafolide in ovarian cancer

15 October 2013

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) and partner Endocyte (Nasdaq: ECYT) today announced the on-line publication of results from the randomized Phase II PRECEDENT trial for vintafolide (MK-8109/EC145), an investigational folate small molecule drug conjugate (SMDC), in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), the official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, demonstrating significant progression free survival in ovarian cancer.

These trial results are the basis for the vintafolide regulatory application currently under review with the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of folate-receptor positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) (The Pharma Letter November 29, 2012). Enrollment is ongoing in the pivotal Phase III PROCEED clinical trial with vintafolide, along with investigational companion imaging agent etarfolatide (EC20), in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, the companies noted.

Study findings

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK