Exelixis says quickly filled spots in cancer trial

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Exelixis Inc (EXEL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said it quickly attracted patients with non-small cell lung cancer for a trial of its experimental cancer drug XL647, Chief Executive George Scangos said on Thursday.

"Investigators really like the drug. It's the fastest enrolling trial I've seen," Scangos told investors at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.

The company in June opened the small, Phase 2 trial to individuals with non-small cell lung cancer that has relapsed following treatment with targeted cancer drugs Tarceva or Iressa.

Exelixis expects to present data from the trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting later this year.

The company in September released interim data from a small, ongoing Phase 2 trial evaluating the drug candidate as a first-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

That data showed the experimental drug, which inhibits EGFR, VEGFR and HER2 -- which play a role cancer growth, had anti-tumor activity.

Scangos said on Thursday the drug does not appear to cause the severe diarrhea or skin rash that can be a side effect of Genentech Inc (DNA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc's (OSIP.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Tarceva.

Tarceva, generically known as erlotinib, targets HER1 and EGFR and is approved to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Braden Reddall)