Interesting initial findings for CO-101 trial

[Support Team]

A worldwide Phase II trial is currently being carried out to compare CO-1.01 with gemcitabine as first-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer.

Gemcitabine chemotherapy is the standard treatment for pancreatic cancer that has spread to other parts of the body but there is no way to tell in advance which patients will benefit from the treatment and which will not.

Research suggests that patients with low levels of a protein, which is involved in moving molecules including some drugs into cells, called tumour cell hENT1 (human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1), benefit less from gemcitabine than patients with high levels.

This study is testing the theory that pancreatic tumours expressing low levels of hENT1 will respond better to CO-1.01 (a derivative of gemcitabine called gemcitabine elaidate) than to gemcitabine because this new drug does not depend on hENT1 to enter the tumour cells.

The trial has just released some initial findings which are that 65 percent of the initial 250 patients enrolled in the study have been found to be hENT1-low. For further information see http://ir.clovisoncology.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=247187&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1645800&highlight=

For further information on this trial and sites taking part in the UK see http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information-and-support/clinical-trials/trials-for-inoperable-pancreatic-cancer/co-101