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news.OncoMed Pharmaceuticals has entered into a clinical supply agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to evaluate the combination of demcizumab and alimta (pemetrexed for injection) in lung cancer patients.
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Demcizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits Delta-Like Ligand 4 (DLL4) in the Notch signaling pathway.
Under the deal, OncoMed’s demcizumab will be tested in combination with Lilly’s Alimta and carboplatin to treat first-line advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The deal will see Lilly offer clinical supply of Alimta for OncoMed’s ongoing Phase II DENALI trial, which expected to enroll around 200 patients with first-line metastatic Stage IV non-squamous NSCLC whose tumors do not have an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation.
OncoMed chairman and chief executive officer Paul Hastings said: "This agreement with Lilly strengthens our efforts to investigate demcizumab as a key component alongside Alimta and platinum chemotherapy for the initial treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
"These data will add to the growing body of research to determine whether certain three-drug combinations may help improve patient outcomes."
The company said Alimta is approved as an initial treatment in combination with cisplatin for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC for patients with non-squamous histology.
OncoMed has completed patient enrollment of two Phase Ib clinical trials of demcizumab plus standard-of-care in patients with first-line advanced pancreatic cancer and extensive stage non-squamous NSCLC.
Currently, the company is also conducting a Phase Ib/II trial of demcizumab and paclitaxel in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.