Amgen to make oncology presentations

Amgen has announced that it is to make a number of presentations relating to products on its oncology research and development pipeline at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The firm notes that it will be exhibiting data from clinical trials investigating seven different therapies. The bulk of these concern the company’s candidate treatments for advanced solid tumours – AMG 102, AMG 386, AMG 479, AMG 655 and rhApo2L/Trail.

Other presentations include those relating to AMG 531 in thrombocytopenic patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, AMG 706 (motesanib diphosphate) for patients with locally advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer.

The company will also present an update of clinical trial results from a study of Vectibix (panitumumab) in addition to patient reported outcome and quality of life data from the 408 trial.

Roger M Perlmutter, executive vice-president of research and development at the company, said: “As the science of cancer rapidly evolves, Amgen is developing the next generation of targeted therapeutics and novel supportive care agents.”

He added that the presentations made at this annual meeting highlight the diversity and breadth of the company’s research and development pipeline in oncology.

At the start of this month, Amgen announced the positive result of a phase III clinical trial of Vectibix in metastatic colorectal cancer patients who had previously failed oxaliplatin, fluoropyrimidine or irinotecan chemotherapy treatment regimens.