NICE terminate review of Avastin/Erbitux regimens due to lack of data

The UK NICE have announced that review of Avastin and Erbitux for the following indications have been terminated due to lack of data provision by their manufacturers:
- bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer
- bevacizumab in addition to platinum-based chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with inoperable advanced, [...]

TGF-beta receptor kinase inhibitor LY2109761 inhibits pro-survival signalling

Data published in the British Journal of Hematology shows that the blockade of TGF-β signalling by LY2109761 inhibits pro-survival signalling in U937 cells

p38 inhibition inhibits hepatitis B virus replication in hepatoma cells

Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase has been shown to inhibit hepatitis B virus proteins and RNA synthesis in human hepatoma cell Huh7. The inhibitor used was SB203580 that is no longer in development

Takeda submit Japanese NDA for panitumumab in progressed and/or relapse colorectal cancer

Takeda have submitted a New Drug Application to the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare in Japan for panitumumab in the treatment of patients with progressed and/or relapse colorectal cancer. Takeda has Japanese rights for the drug that was developed by Amgen.

SGX submit IND for Bcr-Abl inhibitor SGX393

SGX Pharmaceuticals have submitted an IND to the FDA for Bcr-Abl inhibitor SGX393 or the treatment of relapsed and refractory chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).

Pfizer to initiate US Phase I trial of PF-04217903 in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Pfizer is to initiate a US Phase I trial of c-Met/HGFR kinase inhibitor PF-04217903 in patients with advanced tumors

Exelixis and GlaxoSmithKline Conclude Six-Year Discovery and Development Collaboration

Exelixis and GlaxoSmithKline will conclude their six-year collaboration in October 2008. GSK will have the right to choose one of the following compounds for for further development and commercialization: XL184, XL281, XL228, XL820, and XL844. GSK previously selected XL880 from the collaboration

Preemptive Treatment May Significantly Reduce Skin Toxicities in Patients Receiving Panitumumab

Data presented today at the 10th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer shows that preemptive treatment reduced the incidence rate of grade two and higher skin toxicities by over 50 percent without additional side effect.

Eberhard-Karls-University publish series of p38 inhibitors

In this weeks JMC Eberhard-Karls-University publish a series of 2,4,5- and 1,2,4,5-substituted 2-thioimidazole p38 MAP kinase inhibitors

Axelar initiate Phase I/II trial with IGF-1R drug AXL1717

Axelar has initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial in cancer patients with its insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor inhibitor AXL1717