Nordic ASCO stocks

The massive American Society Of Clinical Oncology 2012 ASCO annual meeting, which will be held June 1-5th in Chicago, will once again have numerous issues of interest to Nordic investors. Local companies featured include Active Biotech (OMX: ACTI) which together with Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) presents follow-up data from a phase 2 study with prostate cancer drug candidate tasquinimod in castration resistant prostate cancer. The new analysis has shown that overall survival after treatment has gone up to 34.2 months with the drug, which is higher number than the one reported earlier, vs. 30.2 months with placebo. The bone-metastatic subgroup OS is also 34.2 vs. 25.6 for placebo group. The company has a pivotal study with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer ongoing.

Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) has new interim data from ongoing phase 2 trial with its therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate PROSTVAC (PSA-TRICOM ) in combination with Quadramet (samarium-153 EDTMP). In the study Quadramet is studied with or without PROSTVAC after docetaxel treatment in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. A commencing 1200 pts phase 3 trial in asymptomatic to minimally symptomatic prostate cancer patients will also be highlighted.

Algeta ASA (OSE: Algeta) got in updated final survival data from phase III, study of Alpharadin (radium-223 chloride) in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients who have bone metastases as a late-breaking abstract. The full text will be available on June 4th. There is trial in progress abstract from a I/IIa study with the same compound given with docetaxel to a similar patient population.

Topotarget's (CPH: TOPO) (and Spectrum Pharmaceutical’s (NASDAQ: SPPI) Belinostat is also featured. Promising data fom a phase 1/2 combination study with cisplatin, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in thymic malignancies, which while not a large market opportunity in itself, further underscores the drug's potential in combination treatment. Less impressive data from a phase 2 study with Belinostat as monotherapy in aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas has improved somewhat since while there were no objective responses in the first 22 patients, which led to the termination of the study, in subsequent follow-up two patients were confirmed with a partial response and two further patients have not progressed for over two years, which is no mean feat for a heavily pre-treated population. Topotarget wanted to underscore, that this study was in a completely different type of patients, as the pivotal PTCL trial.