Celgene's bid to expand use of Revlimid as a prostate cancer treatment just hit a major snag. The company stopped a Phase III trial after an independent monitoring committee determined that adding Revlimid to standard therapy wouldn't significantly boost patient survival.
Revlimid is a blockbuster performer for Celgene ($CELG), with expected 2011 revenues of more than $3 billion. It's approved for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma and for certain anemia patients, and, if the company gets its way, will soon be cleared for two new multiple myeloma uses.
Broadening Revlimid's use to prostate cancer could pump up sales even further. Celgene has been recruiting patients for trials in other solid-tumor cancers, such as bladder, brain, ovarian and kidney cancer. The halted trial--known as MAINSAIL--was evaluating Revlimid combined with docetaxel and prednisone in castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients.
- see the Celgene release
- read the Reuters piece
- get more from PMLive