Array's selumetinib meets in Phase II ocular melanoma
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center presented data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting showing that oral selumetinib from Array BioPharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ARRY) met the primary endpoint of improving median progression-free survival (PFS) vs. temozolomide in a 98-patient Phase II trial to treat ocular melanoma (15.9 vs. 7 weeks, p=0.0005). Selumetinib ( AZD6244, ARRY-886) missed the secondary endpoint of improving median overall survival (OS) vs. temozolomide (10.8 vs. 9.4 weeks, p=0.4). The researchers plan to conduct a confirmatory trial in about 100 patients, but did not disclose details.
AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) has rights to selumetinib for cancer indications from Array. In October, AstraZeneca plans to start a Phase III trial of the small molecule MEK inhibitor plus docetaxel as second-line therapy for patients with K-Ras (KRAS) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Selumetinib also is in the Phase II ASTRA trial to treat thyroid cancer. ...