Endocyte: Phase 2b TARGET Trial Results Show Improved Survival In NSCLC Patients

(RTTNews) - Endocyte, Inc. (ECYT) announced that the small molecule drug conjugate or SMDC vintafolide in combination with docetaxel extended overall survival or OS for patients with folate receptor or FR positive recurrent non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC compared with patients receiving monotherapy docetaxel in its TARGET Phase 2b study. The late-breaking TARGET trial data would be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress or ESMO, by Rohit Lal, M.D., consultant medical oncologist at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital and an Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist for Kings College Hospital, London.

The data show that patients in the predefined adenocarcinoma subgroup treated with the vintafolide plus docetaxel combination had a 27 percent reduction in risk of the disease worsening or death, and a 30 percent reduction in the risk of death compared to docetaxel monotherapy.

Rohit Lal said, "These results are very promising for patients receiving second-line treatment for this challenging disease. The folate receptor is a promising target, particularly in NSCLC, where the majority of patients are positive for this receptor. In particular, the consistency of results among patients with adenocarcinoma, including improved tumor response, delayed disease progression, and extended overall survival, support continued study of vintafolide in this patient population."

The study enrolled and treated 199 patients whose target tumors were all positive for the folate receptor, as determined with the companion imaging agent etarfolatide. Patients were randomized between three arms: vintafolide monotherapy, a combination of vintafolide and docetaxel, and docetaxel monotherapy.