Amgen to Participate in Anti-Cancer Study

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen Inc. will take part in a study to evaluate an anti-cancer treatment that uses Amgen’s Neupogen drug.

The study was announced by Amgen’s partner in the project, Medarex Inc., an Annandale, N.J., biopharmaceutical firm.

The multisite clinical trial centers on MDX-210, Medarex’s antibody-based treatment of various cancers in combination with Neupogen. Neupogen is widely used to increase patients’ white blood cells after cancer therapy.

Preclinical studies indicate that the combination therapy may increase anti-tumor activity already observed in earlier trials of MDX-210, according to Medarex.

About 45 patients with resistance to conventional treatments for breast cancer will take part in the study, part of which will be conducted at USC’s Norris Cancer Center. Part of the study is already under way in Germany.

“Synergy between MDX-210 and Neupogen offers a promising therapeutic combination for patients whose disease has proved resistant to other regimens,” said Jeffrey S. Weber, who will direct the study at the Norris center.

Preclinical studies have shown that a combination of Neupogen and MDX-210 can increase the destruction of tumor cells, according to Medarex.

Amgen is a leading biotechnology concern. Medarex develops antibody-based products for the treatment of AIDS, cancer and other disorders.