Threshold reports positive results from TH-302 Phase 1/2 clinical trial in pancreatic cancer

Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:THLD) today announced updated Phase 1/2 clinical trial results related to the Company's clinical stage hypoxia-activated prodrug, TH-302. The results were presented at the ASCO Gastro Intestinal Cancers Symposium that took place in San Francisco from January 20-22, 2011. Additionally, the Company announced that an ongoing Phase 2, controlled, clinical trial in patients with pancreatic cancer has reached the mid-way point in overall enrollment into the trial.

The ASCO presentation summarized data from 47 patients with previously untreated pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with TH-302 in combination with gemcitabine as part of the 402 trial, a Phase 1/2, three arm, multicenter, dose escalation and dose expansion trial to determine the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of TH-302 in combination with gemcitabine (Gem), docetaxel or pemetrexed in patients with various advanced solid tumors.

"The results from this Phase 1/2 study are encouraging. The progression-free survival, overall survival, CA19-9 and response data suggest that TH-302 is contributing to the combination treatment. In particular, the durable responses extending out over 10 months are promising," said Shantan G. Reddy, M.D., Director of G.I. Malignancies at LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, and a clinical investigator involved in the trial. "For patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving gemcitabine alone, median survival is about six months. New agents are needed and we are hopeful and optimistic that TH-302 may provide an additional treatment option for patients with this disease."