Bayer: Cancer drug trial results a 'positive signal'

BERLIN A cancer drug combined with chemotherapy extended advanced-breast-cancer patients’ survival by 74%, according to results of a mid-stage clinical trial.

Bayer HealthCare and Onyx Pharmaceuticals announced results of the 229-patient trial, in which patients took a combination of the tablet Nexavar (sorafenib), which the two companies market under an agreement, and the oral chemotherapy drug capecitabine. Data were presented at the joint 15th European CanCer Organization and the 34th European Society for Medical Oncology Multidisciplinary Congress in Berlin.

“These data represent a potentially significant advance in the treatment of breast cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women,” Bayer HealthCare VP global clinical development oncology Dimitris Voliotis said in a statement. “In addition to the positive signal generated in this trial, Bayer and Onyx are committed to the development of Nexavar in breast cancer in a variety of settings through a robust clinical program.”