INDEPENDENT DMB RECOMMENDS SATRAPLATIN TRIAL CONTINUE

Pharmion has announced that the independent data monitoring board (DMB) for GPC Biotech's satraplatin Phase III registrational trial SPARC (satraplatin and prednisone against refractory cancer) in second-line chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer has held its planned meeting to review interim safety and efficacy data from the study. As expected, the DMB recommended the trial should continue to completion.

The DMB analyzed the efficacy data as assessed by the blinded independent progression review panel on the first 354 progression-free survival events and also reviewed the safety data from the first 593 patients who had been randomized in the trial.