YM BioSciences partner begins patient treatment in phase 3 trial of nimotuzumab in brain stem cancer

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., April 27 - YM BioSciences Inc. said its partner, Germany-based Oncoscience AG, has begun patient treatment for its phase 3 trial of nimotuzumab in combination with radiation in children with diffuse, intrinsic pontine (brain stem) glioma.

In the single-arm study, 40 children with inoperable pontine glioma will be treated with radiation concomitant with nimotuzumab at clinical sites in Germany, Italy, Belarus and Russia.

The primary endpoint will be progression-free survival with median survival as a secondary endpoint.

Presently, progression-free survival and median survival for pontine glioma is about 5.5 months and 8.5 months, respectively, according to a company news release.

Oncoscience expects to complete the trial in the first half of 2007.

YM BioSciences' subsidiary, Cimym Inc., plans to file for authorization to conduct a similar trial in North America.

Nimotuzumab is also being studied in non-small cell lung cancer, glioma, and breast, esophageal, uterine cervix, prostate and head and neck cancer.

YM is a cancer product development company located in Mississauga, Ont.

© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.