Eisai Oncology to Present New Research on Product Portfolio and Pipeline at ASCO Annual Meeting

Hatfield, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

Eisai announced today that 12 abstracts highlighting new study
results will be presented during the 48th Annual Meeting of the
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), taking place in
Chicago, USA, from 1-5 June 2012.

These studies highlight Eisai's current product portfolio and
oncology pipeline, reinforcing the company's commitment to patients
and their families affected by cancer.

"Our human health care mission is to help address unmet medical
needs and increase benefits to patients and their families," said
Takashi Owa, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Eisai Product Creation
Systems. "Our portfolio of oncology compounds and therapies
underscores our commitment to this important mission."

The following Eisai abstracts are accepted for presentation at
this year's ASCO meeting:

Product           Abstract Name
                          A Phase II Single Arm, Feasibility Study of
Dose Dense
                          Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide (AC) 
Followed by
        Eribulin          Eribulin Mesylate for the Adjuvant 
Treatment of Early
                          Stage Breast Cancer (EBC)
        Abstract No:
        TPS1145           Poster Session
                          A Phase 1b Dose Escalation Study of 
Eribulin Mesylate in
                          Combination with Capecitabine in Patients 
with
        Eribulin          Advanced/Metastatic Cancer
        Abstract No: 2552 Poster Session
        Lenvatinib
        (E7080)           Treatment of Refractory Metastatic Renal 
Cell Carcinoma
                          (RCC) with Lenvatinib (E7080) and 
Everolimus
        Abstract No:
        TPS4682           Poster Session
        Lenvatinib
                          A Phase IB Study of Lenvatinib (E7080) in 
Combination
        (E7080)           with Temozolomide for Treatment of Advanced
Melanoma
        Abstract No: 8594 Poster Session
                          Lenvatinib Treatment of Advanced 
RAI-refractory
                          Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (DTC); 
Cytokine and
        Lenvatinib        Angiongenic Factor (CAF) Profiling in 
Combination with
                          Tumour Genetic Analysis to Identify Markers
Associated
        E7080             with Response
        Abstract No: 5518 Poster Discussion
        Lenvatinib        A Phase II Trial of the Multitargeted 
Kinase Inhibitor
                          Lenvatinib (E7080) in Advanced Medullary 
Thyroid Cancer
        (E7080)           (MTC)
        Abstract No: 5591 Poster Session
                          A Phase I Dose-Finding Study of of 
Golvatinib (E7050) a
                          cMET and Eph Receptor Targeted Multi-Kinase
Inhibitor,
                          Administered Orally QD to Patients with 
Advanced Solid
        E7050             Tumours
        Abstract No: 3030 Poster Discussion
                          A Phase I Dose-Finding Study of Golvatinib 
(E7050), a
                          c-Met and EPH Receptor Targeted 
Multi-Kinase Inhibitor
                          Administered Orally BID to Patients with 
Advanced Solid
        E7050             Tumours
        Abstract No: 3079 Poster Session
                          Phase I Safety Study of Farletuzumab, 
Carboplatin and
                          Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD) in 
Patients with
        Farletuzumab      Platinum-Sensitive Epithelial Ovarian 
Cancer (EOC)
        MORAb-003
        Abstract No: 5062 Poster Session
                          Phase I and Pharmacokinetic Study of 
Farletuzumab in
        Farletuzumab      Solid Tumours
        MORAb-003
        Abstract No: 3084 Poster Session
                          Amatuximab, A Chimeric Monoclonal Antibody 
to
        Amatuximab        Mesothelin, in Combination with Pemetrexed 
and Cisplatin
                          in Patients with Unresectable Pleural 
Mesothelioma
        MORAb-009         Results of a Multicentre Phase II Clinical 
Trial
        Abstract No: 7030 Poster Discussion
                          A First-in-Human Phase I Study of MORAb-004
(M4), a
                          Humanised Monoclonal Antibody Recognising 
Endosialin
        MORAb-004         (TEM-1), in Patients with Solid Tumours
        Abstract No: 3016 Poster Discussion

Notes to Editors

Eisai in Oncology

Eisai is dedicated to discovering, developing and producing
innovative oncology therapies that can make a difference and impact
the lives of patients and their families. This passion for people is
part of Eisai's human health care (hhc) mission, which strives for
better understanding of the needs of patients and their families to
increase the benefits health care provides. Our commitment to
meaningful progress in oncology research, built on scientific
expertise, is supported by a global capability to conduct discovery
and preclinical research, and develop small molecules, therapeutic
vaccines, and biologic and supportive care agents for cancer across
multiple indications.

Halaven(R) (eribulin)

Eribulin is a non-taxane, microtubule dynamics inhibitor indicated
for the treatment of patients with breast cancer who have previously
received at least two chemotherapeutic regimens for metastatic
disease and whose prior therapy should have included an anthracycline
and a taxane.[1] Eribulin belongs to a class of antineoplastic
agents, the halichondrins, which are natural products, isolated from
the marine sponge Halichondria okadai. It is believed to work by
inhibiting the growth phase of microtubule dynamics without affecting
the shortening phase and sequesters tubulin into non-productive
aggregates.

Lenvatinib (E7080)

Lenvatinib is an orally active inhibitor of multiple receptor
tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including KDR (VEGFR-2), Flt-1 (VEGFR-1),
FGFR1, PDGFR-beta and c-kit involved in angiogenesis and tumour
proliferation.[2,3]

It is currently being investigated as a treatment for thyroid,
hepatocellular, endometrial and other solid tumour types.

Farletuzumab (MORAb-003)

Farletuzumab is an investigational, humanized IgG1 monoclonal
antibody targeting folate receptor alpha which is over-expressed on a
number of epithelial-derived cancers, but largely absent in normal
tissue. It is currently being developed as a potential treatment for
ovarian and lung cancers. Significantly, farletuzumab has received
orphan drug designation for ovarian cancer in the US, EU and
Switzerland.

MORAb-004

MORAb-004 is an investigational humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody
that recognizes a cell surface protein, endosialin, also called
Tumour Endothelial Marker-1 (TEM1) and CD248, which is expressed on
tumour associated pericytes, tumour stromal cells and directly on a
subset of malignant cells. Pericytes are specialised cells that
support the formation of blood vessels that support blood to tumours
for their growth and survival. Expression of endosialin in tumours
has been observed by several independent laboratories and
experiments, and blocking endosialin function has been shown to
inhibit tumour growth and metastasis. MORAb-004 is currently being
investigated as a monoclonal antibody for its potential treatment of
many types of cancer. An Investigational New Drug
<http://www.morphotek.com/pipeline/Definitions-(1).aspx> application
was opened for MORAb-004 in 2009. MORAb-004 has received US FDA
orphan drug designation
<http://www.morphotek.com/pipeline/Definitions-(1).aspx> for sarcoma.

Amatuximab (MORAb-009)

Amatuximab (MORAb-009) is an investigational chimeric IgG1
antibody that targets a cell surface glycoprotein, mesothelin, which
is over-expressed on a number of cancers. Mesothelin is thought to be
involved in cell adhesion. Its presence is associated with a range of
cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, mesothelioma,
epithelial ovarian cancer, and lung adenocarcinoma. Researchers at
the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Johns Hopkins University
have independently validated mesothelin as a potential target of
immuno-based therapies. Amatuximab is currently being investigated
clinically as a monoclonal antibody for its potential treatment of
mesothelioma.

About Eisai

Eisai is one of the world's leading R&D-based pharmaceutical
companies and has defined its corporate mission as "giving first
thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits
health care provides," which we call human health care (hhc). Eisai
recently expanded their UK Hatfield facility which now supports the
company's growing European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA)
business.

Eisai concentrates its R&D activities in three key areas:

- Neuroscience, including: Alzheimer's disease, multiple 
sclerosis,
          neuropathic pain, epilepsy, depression
        - Oncology including: anticancer therapies; tumour 
regression, tumour
          suppression, antibodies, etc and supportive cancer 
therapies; pain relief, nausea
        - Vascular/Immunological reaction including: acute coronary 
syndrome,
          atherothrombotic disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, 
Crohn's disease

With operations in the U.S., Asia, Europe and its domestic home
market of Japan, Eisai employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. In
Europe, Eisai undertakes sales and marketing operations in over 20
markets, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway,
Portugal, Iceland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and
Belgium.

For further information please visit our web site
http://www.eisai.com

About Morphotek

Morphotek(R), Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai, is a biopharmaceutical
company specialising in the development of protein and antibody
products through the use of a novel and proprietary gene evolution
technology. The technology has been successfully applied to a broad
variety of cell lines and organisms to yield genetically diverse
offspring that are suitable for pharmaceutical product development in
the areas of antibody therapeutics, protein therapeutics, product
manufacturing, drug target discovery, and improved output traits for
commercial applications. The company is currently focusing its
platform on the development and manufacturing of therapeutic
antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infectious
disease.

For more information, please visit http://www.morphotek.com.

1. Cortes J, O'Shaughnessy J, Loesch D, et al. Eribulin
monotherapy versus treatment of physician's choice in patients with
metastatic breast cancer (EMBRACE): a phase 3 open-label randomised
study. The Lancet. 2011; 377: 914 -923.

2. Matsui J et al. Multi-kinase inhibitor E7080 suppresses lymph
node and lung metastases of human mammary breast tumour MDA-MB-231
via inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor
(VEGF-R) 2 and VEGF-R3 kinase. Clin Cancer Res 2008; 14: 5459-65.

3. Matsui J et al. E7080, a novel inhibitor that targets multiple
kinases, has potent antitumour activities against stem cell factor
producing human small cell lung cancer H146, based on angiogenesis
inhibition. Int J Cancer 2008; 122: 664-71.

Rückfragehinweis:
Media Enquiries: Eisai Europe Ltd, Charlotte Andrews / Cressida
Robson, +44(0)7947-231513 / +44(0)790-831-4155,
[email protected]
/ , [email protected] ; Tonic Life Communications:
Benjamyn Tan
/ Leah Peyton, +44(0)207-798-9262 / +44(0)7788-191434,
[email protected] / [email protected]

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