ASCO Highlights In Brief

Amgen's Prolia: Data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago included new information on the use of Amgen's RANK ligand inhibitor, Prolia (denosumab), in delaying skeletal related events in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases. The study met its primary and secondary endpoints showing superiority in a head-to-head trial against Novartis' Zometa (zoledronic acid) in postponing time to the first SRE by 20.7 months compared to 17.1 months. Overall, the data were inline with the expectations of analysts, who remain bullish on the compound in the wake of its approval in the post-menopausal osteoporosis setting and Amgen's decision to price the compound aggressively (1"The Pink Sheet," June 7, 2010). The study was typical of Amgen's showing at the June 4-7 cancer meeting, which was generally positive but incremental