HATFIELD, England, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

FOR EMEA MEDIA ONLY - NOT FOR SWISS/AUSTRIAN JOURNALISTS  

ASCO invites two oral presentations of significant new data in soft tissue sarcoma and renal cell carcinoma  

Eisai today confirms five abstracts that highlight new study results in rare cancers will be presented during the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Chicago, 29 May to 2 June 2015.

A Phase III study of eribulin versus dacarbazine in patients with sarcomas (leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma) will be presented. Leiomyosarcomas are one of the more common types of sarcoma to develop in adults. They develop from cells called smooth muscle and can start anywhere in the body.^[1]   Liposarcomas arise from fat cells and can also occur anywhere in the body. Leiomyosarcomas and liposarcomas make up approximately 30% of all cases of soft tissue sarcomas.^[1] This study will be presented at an ASCO Press Conference on Saturday 30 May 2015 and as part of an Oral Plenary on Monday 1 June 2015.

A Phase II, open-label, multicentre study in which lenvatinib was compared to everolimus and used in combination with everolimus, in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma will also be presented as an Oral Plenary on Monday 1 June 2015.

"The results being presented at ASCO underscore Eisai's ongoing commitment to support patients with difficult to treat cancers for which there are currently too few treatment options. As part of our human health care mission we are committed to investing in innovative therapies that have the potential to improve the lives of patients and their families and deliver meaningful progress in the battle against cancer," said Kenichi Nomoto, Ph.D., President, Oncology Product Creation Unit at Eisai.

The following Eisai abstracts are accepted for presentation at this year's ASCO meeting:

   
    Product                 Abstract Name

    Lenvatinib              Randomized phase 2 three-arm trial of lenvatinib,
    Abstract No: 4506       everolimus, and lenvatinib plus everolimus in
                            patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
   
    Lenvatinib              Effect of age and lenvatinib treatment on overall
    Abstract No: 6048       survival for patients with 131I-refractory
                            differentiated thyroid cancer in SELECT
   
    Lenvatinib              Efficacy and safety of lenvatinib for the treatment
    Abstract No: 6013       of patients with 131I-refractory differentiated
                            thyroid cancer with and without prior VEGF-targeted
                            therapy

    Lenvatinib              Pharmacodynamic biomarkers of response and
    Abstract No: 6014       resistance in the phase 3 study of lenvatinib in
                            131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer
                            (SELECT)

    Eribulin                Randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase III study
    Abstract No: LBA10502   of eribulin versus dacarbazine in patients with
                            leiomyosarcoma and adipocytic sarcoma   

Eribulin is indicated in Europe for the treatment of women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have progressed after at least one chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced disease. Prior therapy should have included an anthracycline and a taxane unless patients were not suitable for these treatments.^[2]

Notes to Editors  

Eisai in Oncology  

Our commitment to meaningful progress in oncology research, built on scientific expertise, is supported by a global capability to conduct discovery and preclinical research, and develop small molecules, therapeutic vaccines, and biologic and supportive care agents for cancer across multiple indications.

Halaven^® (eribulin) 

Eribulin is the first in the halichondrin class of microtubule dynamics inhibitors with a novel mechanism of action. Structurally eribulin is a simplified and synthetically produced version of halichondrin B, a natural product isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai. Eribulin is believed to work by inhibiting the growth phase of microtubule dynamics which prevents cell division.^[1]

Lenvatinib (E7080) 

Lenvatinib simultaneously inhibits VEGFR, FGFR and also RET which are especially involved in tumour angiogenesis and proliferation of thyroid cancer.^[3],[4] This potentially makes lenvatinib the first TKI that simultaneously inhibits the kinase activities of FGFR 1-4 as well as VEGFR 1-3. Lenvatinib will be indicated for the treatment of adult patients with progressive locally advanced or metastatic, differentiated (papillary, follicular, Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma (DTC) refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI).

Lenvatinib has been approved for the treatment of refractory thyroid cancer in the United States and Japan, and has been submitted for regulatory approval in Europe, Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, Russia, Australia and Brazil. Lenvatinib was granted Orphan Drug Designation in Japan for thyroid cancer, in the United States for treatment of follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and metastatic or locally advanced papillary thyroid cancer and in Europe for follicular and papillary thyroid cancer.

About Eisai Co., Ltd. 

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global research and development-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. We define our corporate mission as "giving first thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits health care provides," which we call our human health care (hhc) philosophy. With over 10,000 employees working across our global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realise our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products in multiple therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs, including Oncology and Neurology. 

As a global pharmaceutical company, our mission extends to patients around the world through our investment and participation in partnership-based initiatives to improve access to medicines in developing and emerging countries.

For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit http://www.eisai.com.   

References

1. Cancer Research UK, Soft Tissue Sarcoma Incidence Statistics: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/incidence/ Last accessed May 2015
2. SPC Halaven (updated February 2015). Available at: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/24382 Last accessed May 2015
3. Matsui J, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:5459-65
4. Matsui J, et al. Int J Cancer 2008;122:664-71

Date of preparation: May 2015
Job code: Oncology-UK0034

SOURCE Eisai