May 13 2009
Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), a fully integrated biotechnology company, today announced that multiple clinical studies of the chemotherapy agent ABRAXANE® for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) will be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), being held in Orlando, Florida from May 29 to June 2. Clinical results from 14 company and investigator-sponsored studies will be reported, including an ongoing study evaluating three dosing regimens of nab®-paclitaxel in combination with targeted agent bevacizumab for first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
ABRAXANE is currently approved for the treatment of breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within six months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Prior therapy should have included an anthracycline unless clinically contraindicated.
Interim data from an ongoing study evaluating three dosing regimens of ABRAXANE and bevacizumab in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients will be presented in an oral presentation on Monday, June 1 at 11:30 a.m. on Level 2 in West Hall D2. The study, titled "Randomized phase II trial of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel in three dosing schedules with bevacizumab as first-line therapy for HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC)" (Abstract #1006), assesses nab®-paclitaxel (260 mg/m2) given every three weeks in combination with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) every three weeks; nab®-paclitaxel (260 mg/m2) given every two weeks in combination with bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) every two weeks plus filgrastim; and nab®-paclitaxel (130 mg/m2) given every week for three weeks plus bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) given every two weeks.
Abraxis BioScience is also conducting research into the relationship between tumor biomarkers, including secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), and its proprietary tumor targeting technology, known as nab® technology. Abraxis' ongoing research evaluates targeted cytotoxic drugs that utilize the novel nab technology and target SPARC to more effectively deliver chemotherapy to cancer tumors. Current Abraxis nab technology research suggests that SPARC binds to the albumin-bound medicine and delivers the chemotherapy to the tumor, killing cancer cells and halting angiogenesis.i
SPARC is an albumin-binding protein present in many types of cancer. SPARC is often found on the surface of cells for the most aggressive metastatic tumor types, including breast, lung, prostate, melanoma, and pancreatic cancers, and clinical studies have shown that the presence of SPARC is often associated with a poor prognosis for patients.ii Recent research suggests a potential role for SPARC as a target for the development of anti-cancer agents.iii