Lilly lung cancer drug fails to meet main goal in Phase 3 study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday its late-stage lung cancer study failed to meet its primary goal of improved overall survival for patients with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Patients in one arm of the Phase 3 trial, dubbed POINTBREAK, received Lilly's Alimta with bevacizumab, known under the brand name Avastin, and carboplatin, followed by Alimta plus bevacizumab.

That group was compared with another group who received a combination of paclitaxel with bevacizumab and carboplatin followed by bevacizumab.

Still, the study met one of its secondary goals of improved progression-free survival for the Alimta arm.

"Phase II results with this combination were promising and we were hoping to demonstrate an improvement in survival for nonsquamous (non-small cell lung cancer) patients, so we are disappointed with the results of this trial," Dr. Allen Melemed, senior medical director with Lilly Oncology, said in a prepared statement. "POINTBREAK did show an improvement in progression-free survival, though this did not translate to an overall survival advantage."

Full results will be presented September 7 at the Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

(Reporting by Debra Sherman)