Genentech says colon cancer enrolment suspended
NEW YORK, Feb 13 (Reuters)
- Genentech Inc on Monday said it temporarily suspended
enrollment in Avant, a Phase III clinical study
combining Avastin with chemotherapy treatments to
prevent the recurrence of colon cancer.
The company said the Data
Safety Monitoring Board would conduct a review of 60-day
safety data due to a higher rate of adverse events
during the Xelox chemotherapy segment of the study.
Excluding deaths due to
recurrent colon cancer, four deaths were reported during
the Folfox segment of treatment, three deaths for the
Folfox/Avastin stage and seven deaths for the Xelox/Avastin
segment.
The Avant trial began
recruitment in December 2004, and two thirds of a target
of 3,450 patients have since enrolled.
