Bayer gastrointestinal cancer drug extends progression-free survival in trial

WAYNE, N.J. — An experimental drug made by Bayer HealthCare extended the length of time that patients with gastrointestinal tumors survived without their disease getting worse, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial released Monday.



Bayer announced the release of data from the phase-3 "GRID" trial of regorafenib in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, also known as GIST, whose tumors could not be removed through surgery or whose disease had spread to other parts of the body despite prior treatment with Novartis' Gleevec (imatinib). The trial compared the ability of regorafenib to extend progression-free survival of patients with that of placebo.



According to the results, which the study's investigators plan to present at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 48th annual meeting in Chicago, patients taking the drug experienced progressive-free survival of nearly five months, compared with just under a month among those taking placebo.

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