Infinity Pharma's cancer drug fails mid-stage trial goals

n">(Reuters) - Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc said its cancer drug failed to improve overall survival in a mid-stage study on patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had a history of smoking.

The drug, retaspimycin HCl, also failed to improve overall survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer that is closely linked to smoking.

The company said it will not start any new trials with the drug, but would complete enrollment in a separate study by the end of the year.

Infinity said it will now focus on developing IPI-145, which it is testing to treat advanced blood cancers, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

The company tested retaspimycin HCl in combination with docetaxel, an approved cancer drug, comparing it with a combination of docetaxel and placebo in patients who failed to respond to prior treatment.

Infinity said the safety of the drug plus docetaxel was comparable to docetaxel and placebo.

The company's fell nearly 2 percent to $17.99 in early trade on Wednesday.

(Reporting By Vrinda Manocha in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

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Lilly breast cancer drug fails to improve survival in trial

n">(Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co said its experimental breast cancer drug failed to improve patients' survival without their cancer worsening in a late-stage trial, dashing investors' hopes on one of the company's most talked-about drugs.

Lilly shares fell 5 percent in premarket trade.

The company said it does not plan to submit an approval application for the drug, ramucirumab, for treating advanced breast cancer.

However, a separate trial, testing the drug as a treatment for advanced gastric cancer, met the main goal of improving patients' survival.

Ramucirumab - deemed as one of Lilly's most promising experimental treatments - was being tested in combination with chemotherapy drug docetaxel, and compared with a placebo and docetaxel as initial treatment in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Lilly said it is determining next steps for patients enrolled in the breast cancer trial conducted along with Translational Research in Oncology, an international cancer research group.

Ramucirumab is also being tested in late-stage trials for treating cancers of the colon, lung and liver.

Lilly shares fell 5 percent to $50.14 in trading before the bell. They closed at $52.61 on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

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