Dive Brief:
- Simtuzumab is an inhibitor of the lysyl oxidase-like-2 enzyme.
- Researchers studied simtuzumab in combination with Lilly’s gemcitabane (standard of care) in patients with prostate cancer.
- Progression free survival did not progress beyond 3.7 months in any of the treatment groups and the trial was considered a failure at phase II, however Gilead is continuing to study simtuzumab for other oncologic applications.
Dive Insight:
Pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest-to-treat cancers. In phase II trials, simutuzumab was combined with gemcitabane and compared with gemcitabane alone (placebo). Median survival for the 200 mg and 700 mg doses was 3.5 months and 3.7 months, respectively, compared with 3.7 months for the placebo group.
There was no difference in adverse events. Gilead is abandoning study of simutuzumab for pancreatic cancer, but will continue to study this biologic for treatment of colorectal cancer, myelofibrosis, and serious fibrotic lung and liver diseases.