Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. today announced that results presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer showed that ganetespib (STA-9090) is more potent than 17-AAG and is synergistic with doxorubicin in a model of small cell lung cancer. Ganetespib is a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) currently being studied in a broad range of clinical trials with approximately 400 patients treated to date. Ganetespib is structurally unrelated to first-generation, ansamycin-family Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG or IPI-504.

An investigator-sponsored Phase 2 single agent trial of ganetespib is currently being conducted in patients with relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer.

“Results presented today show that ganetespib has greater potency in small cell lung cancer cell lines compared to 17-AAG and also suggests that ganetespib and doxorubicin may be synergistic when dosed sequentially,” said Giuseppe Giaccone, M.D. , Ph.D., Branch Chief, Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, National Cancer Institute. “Intriguingly, ganetespib withdrawal after 48-72 hours of treatment induces precipitous cell death, suggesting that intermittent treatment may be an effective strategy in small cell lung cancer. These results are encouraging and suggest the potential for ganetespib single agent or combination clinical development strategies in small cell lung cancer.”

Researchers examine how genes and proteins affect therapeutic treatments

PHOENIX, Ariz. — July 7, 2011 — The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is presenting two key studies, including one today, at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, July 3-7 in Amsterdam.

One study, presented July 4, involved a gene called GLI1, which may limit the effectiveness of the most common combination chemotherapy given to patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Another study, presented today, July 7, suggests that combination drug therapy may be needed to combat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — the more common type of lung cancer — when patients have elevated levels of a protein called JAK2.

Both studies will be presented at the Amsterdam conference, which is sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). The association hosts an international lung cancer meeting every two years. Both studies also will be published in a special supplement of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

Cephalon is buying cancer drugs firm Gemin X Pharmaceuticals for $225 million in cash. Shareholders in the acquired firm could receive another $300 million in cash payments dependent on future regulatory and sales milestones.
“Gemin X and our investors have been very excited by the promise and potential of our obatoclax program in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer, a condition for which there has been no change in the standard of care for 25 years,” notes Peter R. Dolan, chairman and CEO at Gemin X. “This acquisition not only returns value to Gemin X’s shareholders, but most importantly it enables the rapid and efficient advancement of an innovative program in an indication where cancer patients desperately need safe and effective treatments.”

Just how bad is lung cancer prognosis? Is lung cancer life expectancy always poor? Lung cancer remains the foremost cause of cancer death in the world and has beaten heart disease to first place as a smoking-related killer disease. Read on to learn what factors influence lung cancer prognosis, why lung cancer life expectancy is poor and if lung cancer survival rate can be improved.

Lung Cancer Prognosis – What Factors Determine Lung Cancer Survival Rate

The first thing to know about lung cancer is that there are two types – the more common non-small cell lung cancer and the more deadly small cell or oat cell lung cancer. The factors determining lung cancer prognosis are:

Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare have discovered a biomarker that could help in the treatment of patients with an aggressive type of lung cancer.

Using a particular biomarker, researchers might better predict which patients with small cell lung cancer are resistant to existing drug therapies, and which ones could benefit from new therapies tailored to their specific needs, according to a scientific paper published today in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

“There is a need for predictive biomarkers that can aid investigators in designing future clinical trials, to help identify treatments that might be effective for these patients who most likely will be resistance to existing drug therapies, ” said Dr. Glen J. Weiss, the paper’s senior author and Director of Thoracic Oncology at TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare. TCRS is a partnership between TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare that helps bring new therapies quickly to patients at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center in Scottsdale.

Nearly 220,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with lung cancer, which is by far the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., annually killing nearly 160,000 patients.

When lung cancer is diagnosed, the pathologist will assign a type (non-small cell lung cancer or small cell lung cancer) and a stage to the cancer. The stage is a formal classification that signifies the extent of the cancer and will determine the type of treatment your oncologist recommends.

Lung cancer staging is based on a pathology (disease) report from tissue obtained during bronchoscopy, needle (or other) biopsy, blood tests, and imaging studies to rule out distant metastasis.

Many people are aware of lung cancer. More than 219,000 new cases were diagnosed in the United States, and more than 159,000 people in the United States died from lung cancer. Most people are also aware that smoking,

asbestos, and other harmful substances can cause lung cancer. However, what many people don’t know is that there are two specific types of lung cancer that have very different causes and treatments: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Understanding the difference between the two types of cancer can help patients and families best consider their options.

Surgery alone offers a reasonable overall level of survival for patients with stage 1 small cell lung cancer, a new study suggests.

Traditional treatment regimens for limited stage SCLS include chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

In this study, researchers analyzed U.S. National Cancer Institute data on the outcomes of 247 patients with stage 1 SCLC who had surgery to remove a lung (lobectomy).

The three- and five-year survival rates for patients who had surgery alone were 58.1 percent and 50.3 percent, respectively. The three- and five-year survival rates for patients who had surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) were 64.9 percent and 57.1 percent, respectively.

MicroRNAs are key to identifying patients resistant to ‘first-line’ chemotherapy

Researchers for TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare (TCRS) have identified a way to predict which patients with small-cell lung cancer may be resistant to first-line chemotherapy.

Tiny genetic segments may give a big tip-off to platinum chemoresistance in patients with small cell lung cancer, researchers said.

Three microRNAs were linked to de novo chemoresistance in a small study led by Glen J. Weiss, MD, of Scottsdale Healthcare and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), both in Scottsdale, Ariz.

He presented the results here at the Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.