Ariad Begins Clinical Trial of Breast Cancer Drug
Luke Timmerman 7/30/08
Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:
ARIA), the Cambridge, MA-based developer of cancer drugs,
said today it has started a mid-stage clinical trial of a breast cancer treatment designed to help patients who resist Genentech’s Herceptin. The drug, an oral pill called deforolimus, is designed to block the mTOR protein, which acts like a “master switch” for cancer cells. Ariad will now receive a $15 million milestone payment from its partner, drug giant Merck (NYSE:
MRK) for starting the study. The trial, of 33 patients, should wrap up in the second half of 2009.
Luke Timmerman is the National Biotechnology Editor for Xconomy. You can e-mail him at ltimmerman@xconomy.com or call 206-624-2374.
Comments |
Permalink |
Share |
E-mail