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Cell Therapeutics lung cancer drug helps women

Posted on: Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 11:48 CDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cell Therapeutics Inc. on Tuesday said a mid-stage trial of it experimental lung cancer drug showed a significant survival benefit for women, sending its shares soaring more than 40 percent.

In the recently completed study, Cell Therapeutics said the 35 women with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received its Xyotax plus the chemotherapy carboplatin had a 36 percent probability of living at least one year.

The was a statistically significant survival benefit over both the men in the study and those receiving just chemotherapy, the Seattle-based biotechnology company said at a presentation in New York.

Only 16 percent of the 39 men receiving the same regimen survived the deadly, difficult-to-treat disease for at least one year.

"To the best of our knowledge this is the first time a drug therapy for advanced lung cancer has consistently demonstrated such a strong survival advantage for women compared to men or compared to women randomized to treatment with standard chemotherapy," the company's chief medical officer, Jack Singer, said in a statement.

The company had previously reported that women treated with Xyotax survived significantly longer than women treated with the standard chemotherapy.

Shares of Cell Therapeutics were up 92 cents, or 43 percent, to $3.04 on Nasdaq, where they were the day's highest percentage gainer.

Source: REUTERS

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