Poniard Pharmaceuticals' picoplatin Phase 2 study in metastatic CRPC: Positive results

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PARD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative oncology therapies, today announced the presentation of positive final data, including survival data, from the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial of picoplatin as a first-line therapy in men with metastatic castration-resistant (hormone-refractory) prostate cancer (CRPC).  The results were presented in a General Poster Session today at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology's Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, CA.

The final data showed that picoplatin, in combination with docetaxel and prednisone, the current standard of care for CRPC, produced a clinically meaningful benefit in patients as measured by overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) response rate.  These results also demonstrated that picoplatin can be safely administered with full doses of docetaxel and prednisone.  In addition, no neurotoxicity was observed in these patients.  Neutropenia was the most common hematologic adverse event, and was managed with supportive care.

"Safety and efficacy results from this study, particularly the overall survival data, are encouraging and suggest that picoplatin in this combination regimen has the potential to play a meaningful role in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer," said William K. Oh, M.D., professor of medicine and urology and chief, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  "The results also support the study of picoplatin as a first-line treatment for advanced prostate cancer, a disease for which too few treatment options currently exist."

"We believe these results reflect the promise of picoplatin as a safe and effective platinum chemotherapeutic agent in prostate cancer, and suggest picoplatin could play a significant role in the treatment of other tumor types where platinum and taxane chemotherapies are currently used, further supporting picoplatin's value proposition to potential partners," said Ronald Martell, chief executive officer of Poniard.  "We intend to consult with our clinical advisory board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to finalize registration strategies in prostate cancer while simultaneously exploring potential partnership opportunities to support the continued development of picoplatin in multiple solid tumor indications."

SOURCE Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc.