Millennium Pharmaceuticals Announces Promising Results for MLN2704 and VELCADE in Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials

Strategic Insights -

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced final results from a phase I clinical trial of MLN2704 in patients with advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer, showing promising antitumor activity and a favorable safety profile. The trial demonstrated that MLN2704, a deimmunized monoclonal antibody conjugated to the chemotherapeutic agent DM1, produced sustained antitumor activity, including a durable partial response in one patient who achieved a 50% sustained prostate specific antigen (PSA) decline for 11 months. Additionally, the company presented results from two VELCADE studies in patients with progressive hormone-refractory prostate cancer, indicating the combination of VELCADE and docetaxel was well tolerated and showed promising activity, with two partial responses in 18 patients with measurable disease and confirmed PSA declines of at least 50% in 36% of evaluable patients.

Key Takeaways:

  • MLN2704 demonstrated sustained antitumor activity in patients with advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer, including a durable partial response in one patient and a sustained PSA decline of 50% for 11 months.
  • The dose and schedule of MLN2704 are being assessed, with ongoing evaluation of the molecule's activity and safety profile.
  • VELCADE, when combined with docetaxel, was well tolerated and showed promising activity in patients with progressive hormone-refractory prostate cancer, with two partial responses in 18 patients with measurable disease and confirmed PSA declines of at least 50% in 36% of evaluable patients.
  • PSMA, the target of MLN2704, is a protein expressed on the cell surface of virtually all prostate cancer cells and its abundance on the cell surface increases as the disease progresses and becomes refractory to hormonal therapy.
  • Advent of novel treatments such as MLN2704 highlight the pressing need to identify new therapeutic options for hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients.

Statistics:

  • 11 months: duration of durable partial response achieved by one patient in the MLN2704 trial
  • 50%: sustained PSA decline achieved by the patient in the MLN2704 trial
  • 36%: confirmed PSA declines of at least 50% in evaluable patients in the VELCADE + docetaxel trial
  • 18 patients: number of patients with measurable disease who achieved partial responses in the VELCADE + docetaxel trial

Sources:

  • "Millennium Pharmaceuticals Announces Final Results from Phase I Clinical Trial of MLN2704 in Patients with Advanced Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer" (undated)
  • "Millennium Pharmaceuticals Presents Results from Two VELCADE Studies in Patients with Progressive Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer" (undated)
  • Health & Medicine Week editors (2005) "Millennium Pharmaceuticals Announces Promising Results for MLN2704 and VELCADE in Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials" (NewsRx.com)