Cancer Drug Targets Specific Cells

GlaxoSmithKline's phase 2 clinical trialof the investigational drug MAGE-A3Antigen Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic(ASCI) for the treatment ofnon-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)showed a reduction in cancer recurrencefollowing surgery, when compared withplacebo. In the trial, all patients hadtumors that expressed a tumor-specificantigen—MAGE-A3—seen in 35% to 50%of early NSCLC. The multicenter, randomized,double-blind, placebo-controlledtrial included 182 patients receiving eitherMAGE-A3 ASCI or placebo. Relapseoccurred in 30.3% of patients in theMAGE-A3 group, compared with 41.7% ofpatients in the placebo group. This newcancer immunotherapy resulted in a 33%reduction of risk. Phase 3 clinical trials areset for early 2007. Trial results were presentedat the American Society of ClinicalOncology's annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.

Ms. Farley is a freelance medicalwriter based in Wakefield, RI.