Sanofi-Aventis says clinical trials of prostate cancer drug successful

BOTHELL, Wash. A randomized phase 2 clinical trial of a prostate cancer drug has yielded positive results, the company that makes the drug said Wednesday.

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, based in the Seattle suburb of Bothell, Wash., said the drug OGX-011, in combination with Sanofi-Aventis’ Taxotere (docetaxel) and the generically available glucocorticoid prednisone, increased the chances of survival for men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer as a first-line treatment better than Taxotere and prednisone alone.

“The current 10.6 month median overall survival advantage observed in the OGX-011 arm represents an increase over the median survival observed in the control arm,” the company said in a statement, noting that the Food and Drug Administration approved Taxotere based on a 2.4-month survival advantage over Merck KGaA’s Novantrone (mitoxantrone).