Replies to post #996 on Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc fka ARIA

[BTH]

That's it.

It was Lilly that acquired SGX. Did they eventually drop that trial due to adverse-events, or am I thinking of another drug that was being developed for CML which was dropped for adverse events (it was an aurora-kinase drug).

**Actually, it was Merck and Vertex

Merck & Co. and its partner Vertex Pharmaceuticals have stopped enrolling cancer patients to the clinical trial of its aurora kinase trial after one patient suffered heart problems.

The patient in question developed a QTc prolongation, which can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. Although the two pharma firms will continue to treat chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) patients already in the Phase II trial for MK-0457 (VX-680), no new patients will be recruited.

A Phase I trial of the drug has also been suspended. The news is particularly worrying for Merck and Vertex as MK-0457 is not the only aurora kinase they are developing together. Another of the drugs has recently been discontinued "after the compound [MK-6592/VX-667] did not meet pharmacokinetic objectives in a Phase I clinical study". Despite these setbacks, the pharma giant did say that it still plans to begin clinical development of VX-689 early next year.

Whether the problem is definitely caused by MK-0457 is, as yet unclear, but if the two are linked then the news could spell trouble for the numerous other companies with aurora kinase inhibitors in various stages of clinical development.