Positive results Ph II results for AbbVie's veliparib in breast cancer

The I-SPY 2 trial, an innovative, multidrug, Phase II breast cancer study, has yielded positive results with the first drug to complete testing in the trial, US drugmaker AbbVie’s (NYSEL ABBV) veliparib (ABT-888), a new class of investigational medicines called PARP inhibitors, which target an enzyme cancer relies on to grow.

Adding the chemotherapy carboplatin and the molecularly targeted drug veliparib to standard presurgery chemotherapy improved outcomes for women with triple-negative breast cancer, according to results from the I-SPY 2 trial presented at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 10-14.

52% pCR rate for veliparib/carboplatin group

Among patients with triple-negative disease, the estimated pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was 26% in the control arm and 52% in the veliparib/carboplatin group, equating to a 99% probability of superiority and 90% predicted success in a Phase III trial. In contrast, results showed a 28% superiority among HER-2–negative, HR-positive patients.