GlaxoSmithKline Says Ovarian Cancer Study Validates Tesaro Acquisition -- WSJ
September 30 2019 - 3:02AM
Dow Jones News
By Carlo Martuscelli
This article is being republished as part of our daily
reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S.
print edition of The Wall Street Journal (September 30, 2019).
GlaxoSmithKline PLC has reported positive results from a study
of a cancer drug in a clinical trial that a senior figure in the
company said justified the decision to acquire cancer specialist
Tesaro for $4.16 billion.
Axel Hoos, head of oncology research at the drugmaker, said
Saturday the results of the phase 3 Prima study could change how
women with ovarian cancer are treated.
Data from the clinical trial showed that women with ovarian
cancer could benefit from treatment with Glaxo's drug Zejula
regardless of whether they had specific genetic mutations, Glaxo
said.
The pharmaceutical giant picked up the drug as part of its
takeover of Tesaro in December. At the time, some financial
analysts criticized the company for overpaying, and shares of Glaxo
slumped after the deal was disclosed.
Dr. Hoos said these latest results show that the decision to buy
Tesaro was justified. "[Zejula] was the main reason for buying
Tesaro," he said.
The company said the study confirmed that the drug worked
particularly well in patients with a mutated BRCA gene, as well in
those with other mutations that had a similar effect. Overall, they
make up 50% of the population of women with breast cancer.
Until now, treatment with PARP inhibitors, the class of drug
that Zejula belongs to, has been aimed at treating those with these
mutations -- limiting their uptake and requiring genetic
testing.
However, the trial also showed that Zejula had a clinically
meaningful positive effect on the other half of women that don't
test positive for those biological markers, though not to as great
of an extent.
Data from the Prima trial showed that the medicine reduced the
risk of disease progression or death in women with advanced ovarian
cancer by 38% when compared with placebo.
He said that the drug eventually could become a standard
treatment, administered along with surgery or chemotherapy, and
without the inconvenience of having to administer special genetic
tests.
Nearly 300,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every
year, and it is the eight most common cancer for women around the
world.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 30, 2019 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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