Hutchison China MediTech Ltd. said fruquintinib improved the survival of colorectal cancer patients in a late-stage clinical trial.
Colorectal cancer affects the colon and rectum. It is the second and third leading cause of cancer deaths in women and men, respectively.
The phase 3 clinical trial, dubbed Fresco, is part of a new drug application submitted by the company to the China Food and Drug Administration.
The drug demonstrated statistical and clinical significance in CRC patients. The patients were divided into two subgroups, ones who had received prior targeted therapy and ones who did not.
Regardless of prior target therapy status, the drug improved the survival of the cancer patients without their disease getting worse in comparison to those on placebo.
Furthermore, the subgroups receiving Chi-Med's therapy had a better quality of life as compared to patients treated with placebo.
The drug is also being studied as a potential treatment of lung cancer and gastric cancer in China, while the therapy is undergoing early-stage clinical studies in the U.S.
The 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting is expected to bring together more than 32,000 professionals from all over the world, with more than 2,500 study abstracts to be presented on-site and an additional 3,350 abstracts to be published online.
