Novartis to report cancer drug data at SABCS and ASH 2011

Novartis has announced plans to showcase new drug development data at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting this month.

The company will be giving more than 160 presentations on breast cancer and haematology treatments at the two conferences, which will showcase major advances in the field.

SABCS highlights will include phase III data on everolimus for advanced breast cancer, as well as further findings on Zometa and BKM120.

Meanwhile, the ASH presentations will focus on approved and developmental therapies including Trajenta, Exjade, INC424 and LBH589, with additional everolimus data for Hodgkin lymphoma and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia applications.

Herve Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology, said: "These important data are examples of our research and development strategy to focus on significant unmet medical needs by targeting the fundamental mechanisms of disease."

Last month, the company was granted European regulatory approval for Rasitrio, an innovative new high blood pressure therapy that combines three different compounds.