YM BIOSCIENCES TO INITIATE NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG CANCER TRIAL

YM BioSciences has announced that Health Canada has cleared a clinical trial application for a multicenter Phase I/II trial utilizing YM's anti-EGFr monoclonal antibody, nimotuzumab. The randomized non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) trial will compare the effects of the combination of nimotuzumab with radiation against radiation alone in patients with Stage IIb and III disease who are found to be insufficiently fit to tolerate the standard-of-care or who are not amenable to treatment with curative intent.

The NSCLC trial will be initiated in Canada and extended to Korea, where YM partner Kuhnil Pharmaceutical will fund the development of nimotuzumab for this territory. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 100 patients in total and complete recruitment in approximately 20 months with the prospect of a final report before the end of 2007.