Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (SNTA) announced positive data from a Phase 2b study in metastatic melanoma for STA-4783, a first-in-class heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) inducer that activates natural killer (NK) cell-mediated tumor killing.
According to Steven O'Day, MD, Chief of Research and Director of Melanoma at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute in Los Angeles and Principal Investigator for the study:
"These positive Phase 2b results in metastatic melanoma, a devastating cancer with an extremely poor prognosis and limited treatment options, are very encouraging. Metastatic melanoma has proven resistant to many therapeutic approaches and pharmaceutical agents.
To my knowledge, this study is the first in metastatic melanoma to demonstrate increased progression-free survival by a small molecule in a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial."
This 81-patient clinical study was conducted in 21 sites in the US, and compared the effect of STA-4783 plus paclitaxel or paclitaxel alone in treating stage 4 metastatic melanoma.
Based on the intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, median PFS for patients receiving STA-4783 plus paclitaxel was 112 days versus 56 days for those receiving paclitaxel alone, a statistically significant difference (p= 0.035) that met the primary endpoint.
Further study data are described in Synta's press release.
The full results of the study will be presented at the joint Perspectives in Melanoma X and the Third International Melanoma Research Congress, Noordwijk, The Netherlands on September 16, 2006.
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