AEterna Zentaris Inc. (AEZS, AEZ.TO) announced that its partner, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX), presented updated results on the clinical activity of perifosine or KRX-0401, the Company's PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor for cancer, in combination with capecitabine (Xeloda) as a treatment for advanced, metastatic colon cancer.
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at 11 centers across the United States, heavily pre-treated patients with second- or third-line metastatic colon cancer were randomized to receive capecitabine at 825 mg/m2 BID (total daily dose of 1,650 mg/m2) on days 1 - 14 every 21 days plus either perifosine or placebo at 50 mg daily.
The study enrolled a total of 38 patients, 34 of which were third-line or greater. Of the 38 patients enrolled, 35 were evaluable for response (20 patients on the perifosine + capecitabine arm and 15 patients on the placebo + capecitabine arm). Three patients on the placebo + capecitabine arm were not evaluable for response (2 patients were unevaluable due to toxicity (days 14, 46) and 1 was unevaluable due to a new malignancy on day 6).
The patients in the study were heavily pre-treated, with the arms well-balanced in terms of prior treatment regimens. The median number of prior treatment regimens for all 38 patients was two, with prior treatment regimens for the P-CAP arm versus CAP arm shown in the table below. Notably, all of the patients , with the exception of one CAP arm patient, had been treated with FOLFIRI and/or FOLFOX, almost 80% treated with Avastin, and half treated with an EGFR antibody.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.