Merck KGaA revives testing of cancer vaccine

By Ludwig Burger

FRANKFURT | Wed Sep 25, 2013 3:50am EDT

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German drugmaker Merck KGaA will conduct new tests on an experimental lung cancer vaccine which failed a previous late-stage clinical trial, it said on Wednesday.

Merck said it would test the drug formerly known as Stimuvax and now called tecemotide on patients that had been given chemotherapy and radiotherapy simultaneously in an initial round of treatment.

The previous trial, which also included patients that had been given chemotherapy and radiotherapy separately, failed to provide evidence of improved survival.

The drug - licensed from U.S. biotech firm Oncothyreon - will be tested on patients with locally advanced Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which cannot be surgically removed, unchanged from the previous trial called START, the firm said.

"The START data delivered important insights that we believe justify further investigation in a new Phase III programme," said Annalisa Jenkins, Merck's head of drug development.

Developing cancer vaccines that prime the immune system to attack tumour cells, is a high-risk, high-reward field of medicine that has seen a string of setbacks.

An experimental cancer vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline failed to help melanoma patients in a closely watched clinical trial. Dendreon Corp's Provenge, a pioneer cancer vaccine, has failed to meet sales expectations.

Merck said detailed analysis of the previous trial showed that patients with a treatment history of simultaneous chemotherapy and radiotherapy had an overall survival of 30.8 months after taking tecemotide, versus 20.6 months in a control group of patients treated with placebo.

Investors took a cautious stance, with shares in Merck trading 0.2 percent lower at the open.

The German company said about 1,000 patients would take part in the new study, called START2, compared with 1,200 participants in the predecessor START trial.

The company did not say by how much it was reducing its target market by focusing on a smaller subset of patients, but it described simultaneous chemotherapy and radiotherapy as the current standard of care.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Mark Potter)

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Last call for testing, WooCommerce 2.0 coming March 4th

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WooCommerce 2.0 final testing, Release Candidate 1 is here!

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Buyers testing the waters

Vanessa Jones   |  12:01am March 23, 2013

WATERFRONT houses in the low million-dollar range are proving popular with buyers looking for affordable prestige properties, according to the latest McGrath Report.McGrath real estate agency founder John McGrath has identified the areas of the Isle of Capri, Mermaid Waters, Benowa and Sorrento as prime examples of good buying.He said while the Gold Coast remained one of Australia's best value markets, recent activity suggested the bottom of the cycle had passed."There's a noticeable change in sentiment, with more sales occurring and higher buyer inquiry across the board," he said. "Prices are still well below their pre-GFC highs but homes are selling in a more reasonable timeframe. We may not see major price growth this year, but we'll definitely see more sales."Coverage of the Gold Coast slump has been widespread and this has encouraged a lot of interstate interest among investors and seachangers, particularly from Sydney and Melbourne."Mr McGrath said about 50 per cent of buyers were from out of the area and seeking affordable waterside property or growth investment."Investors usually buy at the lower end -- typically apartments -- but the opposite is true on the Gold Coast, with investors competing against local upgraders for larger family homes in canal suburbs."The prestige sector is also firing up, with several $5 million-plus transactions since November.Real Estate Institute of Queensland Gold Coast zone chairman John Newlands said there had been a definite pick-up in buyer activity from those specifically looking for waterfront property."We've noticed a spike in the late $600,000s to $900,000s price range which is the entry level for these types of properties," he said."We had a house on the Isle of Capri which was listed at $795,000 and we had 13 groups through on the first open for inspection which resulted in a sale. People are realising there are some great opportunities to buy properties that in better times were selling for 25 to 30 per cent more than what they are currently, so they are positioning themselves for the future."He said properties on main river or canals were unlike many other types of properties because tidal waterfront homes were a limited supply."It's all about supply and demand. People know the chance to recreate them again are non-existent so they know they are going to have good capital growth as this opportunity won't arise again," Mr Newlands said. "A lot of these suburbs are well located close to schools, infrastructure and shops and from a boating point of view you can be out on the aquatic playground in the Broadwater in a matter of minutes."Professionals John Henderson Real Estate principal Andrew Henderson said Mermaid Waters stock in the $700,000 range was selling well."Potentially, if you get the right property you could sell it on the same day," he said."Our open homes are being a lot better attended, especially in the sub-million mark and there is a definite lack of stock in properties priced in the $700,000s."People are getting more confidence because there is better affordability, lower interest rates and prices have come down."He said with many retirees choosing to downsize after living in one house for 20 to 30 years, buyers could pick up great renovators on the waterfront to transform into family homes.

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Spy Shots: 2015 Volvo XC90 mule spotted testing in the snow

The Volvo XC90 was a big step for the Swedish automaker in 2003, but the midsize crossover has changed very little since its introduction. All that's about to change as Volvo starts its initial development on the 2015 XC90, which we see for the first time in these spy shots showing a cobbled-together XC70.

Like the current XC90, the next-generation model will be both longer and wider than the XC70 – judging by the modifications made to this mule's body – which will continue to allow Volvo's flagship crossover and provide three rows of seating. The next XC90 will ride on a new platform that will eventually make up around two-thirds of all Volvo sales, called the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

Our shooter managed to find out the registration number for this mule, which indicated that it was powered by a five-cylinder diesel, but we expect the automaker to start stepping away from its current powertrains with a big push toward smaller engines courtesy of the new Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA). Rumor has it that the future engine lineup for the XC90 will rely heavily on turbocharged four-cylinder engines and eight-speed automatic transmissions, which will likely eliminate or lessen some of the current mills available like a straight-six or V8.

The automaker previously stated that the new XC90 would debut in late 2014, but it sounds like delays could push the launch into early 2015.

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Spy Shots: Lincoln MKC prototype spied out testing

As was the case with the Lincoln MKZ, it appears that Lincoln isn't wasting any time getting its newest model transformed from concept to production form. We just saw the MKC Concept earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show, and based on these spy shots, it looks like the final touches are being put in place for the 2014 Lincoln MKC crossover.

Sharing its platform with the Ford Escape, we can definitely see some similarities between these two compact crossovers when it comes to the roofline and daylight opening, but through the heavy camouflage, Lincoln's signature split-wing grille can easily be seen and it looks like the concept's taillights will also make it to reality. On the disappointing side, it looks like the integrated exhaust outlets are being ditched for some round outlets, and we can't tell if the production version will keep the Audi-like clamshell rear liftgate.

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Spy Shots: 2015 Volvo XC90 mule spotted testing in the snow

The Volvo XC90 was a big step for the Swedish automaker in 2003, but the midsize crossover has changed very little since its introduction. All that's about to change as Volvo starts its initial development on the 2015 XC90, which we see for the first time in these spy shots showing a cobbled-together XC70.

Like the current XC90, the next-generation model will be both longer and wider than the XC70 – judging by the modifications made to this mule's body – which will continue to allow Volvo's flagship crossover and provide three rows of seating. The next XC90 will ride on a new platform that will eventually make up around two-thirds of all Volvo sales, called the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

Our shooter managed to find out the registration number for this mule, which indicated that it was powered by a five-cylinder diesel, but we expect the automaker to start stepping away from its current powertrains with a big push toward smaller engines courtesy of the new Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA). Rumor has it that the future engine lineup for the XC90 will rely heavily on turbocharged four-cylinder engines and eight-speed automatic transmissions, which will likely eliminate or lessen some of the current mills available like a straight-six or V8.

The automaker previously stated that the new XC90 would debut in late 2014, but it sounds like delays could push the launch into early 2015.

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