Poniard completes enrollment in phase 2 trial of picoplatin for small cell lung cancer

By Lisa Kerner

Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 17 - Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said it has completed enrollment and began dosing 75 patients in its phase 2 open-label, multi-center clinical trial evaluating picoplatin for the treatment of small cell lung cancer.

Efficacy endpoints of the trial include response rate, progression-free survival and symptom improvement.

Preliminary median overall survival data is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

"We will evaluate these clinical trial data, along with several other factors, in consideration of initiating a phase 3 pivotal trial of picoplatin in the first quarter of 2007," the senior vice president of clinical development and regulatory affairs, David Karlin, said in a news release.

Picoplatin, an intravenous chemotherapeutic agent, has been tested in more than 500 patients in phase 1 and 2 safety and efficacy studies. Picoplatin was shown to possibly have a more manageable safety profile with fewer side effects than currently available platinum-based therapies, according to the release.

Poniard said it is also studying picoplatin in clinical trials in patients with colorectal and prostate cancers.

Small cell lung cancer, an aggressive, deadly form of lung cancer, accounts for about 20% of all lung cancer cases.

Poniard is a South San Francisco, Calif.-based a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on oncology products.

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