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The article reports that Genentech Inc., and Roche announced that a randomized phase III study of Avastin plus the FOLFOX4 chemotherapy regimen, oxaliplatin/5-FU/leucovorin, compared to FOLFOX4 alone, in second-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients achieved its primary endpoint of improving overall survival. Results from an interim analysis demonstrated that patients receiving Avastin plus FOLFOX4 had a 26% reduction in the risk of death, a hazard ratio of 0.74, compared to patients who received FOLFOX4 alone. Median survival for patients receiving Avastin plus FOLFOX4 was 12.5 months, compared to 10.7 months for those receiving FOLFOX4 alone, a 17% improvement.

Reports on Curis Inc.'s plans with Genentech Inc. to co-develop a cancer drug in the U.S. Reasons of Curis for electing to exercise a co-development option with Genentech.

Reports on Genentech Inc.'s announcement that a randomized phase III study of Avastin plus FOLFOX4 chemotherapy regimen, compared to FOLFOX4 alone in secondline metastatic colorectal cancer patients, achieved its primary endpoint of improving overall survival. Reduction in the risk of death; Discussions between company executives and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the administration of the drug; Occurrence of adverse events of hypertension nd sensory neuropathy.

Discusses the research by J. Clarke and colleagues published in the 2005 issue of the journal “Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology” which indicates the development of a preclinical safety testing of efalizumab. Safety testing of possible with humanized monoclonal antibodies; Assessment of pharmacological and toxicological activities; Clinical pathology, body weight and T-cell CD 11a expression.

Reports on the ability of Avastin to increase survival of patients with advanced colorectal cancer when used in combination with an oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy regimen. Reduction in risk of death; Increase in progression-free survival; Comparison between Avastin and FOLFOX4.

Announces the license agreement between Corixa Corp. and Genentech Inc. over the development of humanized antibody-based therapeutics. Terms under the agreement; Benefits of the deal for both companies; Significance of the agreement for the biotechnology industry.

The article reports on a study conducted by researchers, published in the 2004 issue of the journal "Cancer Research," which states that the p53 regulator COP1 is overexpressed in breast and ovarian adenocarcinomas. The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays a central role in protecting normal cells from undergoing transformation. Thus, it is fitting that cancer cells selectively dampen the p53 response to gain a selective growth advantage. In fact, the p53 gene is the most commonly mutated tumor suppressor gene in human cancers, and if the gene is not mutated, then other components of the p53 pathways are skewed to dampen the p53 response to stress.

The article cites a study analyzing that COP1, the negative regulator of p53, is overexpressed in breast and ovarian adenocarcinomas. The study was conducted by researcher D. Dornan and colleagues at Genentech Inc. in San Francisco. Dornan and coauthors published the results of their study in the 2004 issue of the journal "Cancer Research." Researchers suggest that overexpression of COP1 contributes to the accelerated degradation of p53 protein in cancers and attenuates the tumor suppressor function of p53.

Reports that the U.S. government and Genentech are warning doctors that Avastin, used to treat colorectal cancer, increases patients' risk of heart ailments.

Focuses on the clinical study organized by the scientists and physicians of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to test the experimental drugs Polyphenon E, a green tea extract, and Tarceva to former smokers who have had bladder cancer. Grant given by the National Cancer Institute to start the clinical study; Objective of the study; Statement issued by Robert Figlin, a professor of hematology/oncology and urology at UCLA, on the study.

Reports on the development of drug for colorectal cancer by researchers in the U.S. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the regimens of Eloxatin therapy; Treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer; Release of the drug Eloxatin by Sanofi-Synthelabo SA and Avastin.

Reports on Genentech and IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp.'s announcement that an abstract that contain initial data from a phase III study conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group of Rituxan or rituximab in patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was released by the American Society of Hematology and is available on its Web site.

Focuses on the importance of treatment for growth hormone-deficient young adults. Need for higher doses of hormone; Protection of patients for excessive decline in the density of bone; Decrease in lonw-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Reports on the failure of the drug Tarceva in two humanexperiments involving lung cancer patients. Inability of the drugto extend the lives of patients; Capability of the drug to targetonly diseased cells; Search for the application of drug in othercancer types.

Focuses on Lucentis treatment which is an antibody fragment designed to bind to and inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that is believed to play a critical role in angiogenesis in the formation of new blood vessels and in regulating vascular permeability.

Reports on the results of Genentech Inc.'s phase III clinical trial of Avastin plus the FOLFOX4 chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Reduction in mortality rates; Adverse events.

The article cites a study which states that the effects of trastuzumab and geldanamycin on ErbB2 in breast cancer patients have been elucidated. ErbB2 is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase whose surface overexpression is linked to tumorigenesis and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients, scientists C.D. Austin and colleagues at Genentech Inc. in San Francisco, California, explained. Two models have emerged that account for the high surface distribution of ErbB2. Austin and coauthors published their study in the journal "Molecular Biology of the Cell."

Reports on developer of immunotherapeutics, Corixa Corp.'s license agreement with Genentech in which the former will grant the latter exclusive worldwide rights to a novel target for the possible development of humanized antibody-based therapeutics.

This article reports that Genentech Inc., (DNA) and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc., (OSIP) has announced the initiation of a phase IIIb clinical study of the investigational therapy Tarceva (erlotinib HCl) in patients with second- and third-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have previously received chemotherapy. Genentech, Inc., (DNA) and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (OSIP) announced the initiation of a phase IIIb clinical study of the investigational therapy Tarceva (erlotinib HCl) in patients with NSCLC who have previously received chemotherapy.

This article reports that Genentech Inc., and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. have announced the initiation of a phase IIIb clinical study of the investigational therapy Tarceva in patients with second- and third-line non-small cell lung cancer who have previously received chemotherapy. The study will enroll a patient population consistent with the pivotal Tarceva trial, which is the basis for the new drug application that was filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year. Patient enrollment for the trial has begun and will end when the FDA issues an approval decision regarding whether Tarceva is safe and effective as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.

Reports on a national study by investigators of the New York University School of Medicine, which will investigate the safety and efficacy of regimens of drugs for the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Number of patients to be enrolled; Use of data on the survival benefit of the drug Avastin; Potential of the findings of the study to affect the standard of care for metastatic colorectal cancer.

This article cites a study published in the journal "Annals of Oncology," conducted by researcher Ulrich Gatzemeier and colleagues at the Zentrum fur Pneumologie und Thoraxchirurgie, Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf, Germany, which found disappointing results of trastuzumab in lung cancer patients, as of January 28, 2004. In a phase II trial of more than 100 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, those treated with trastuzumab in combination with the chemotherapy agents gemcitabine and cisplatin, did no better than patients treated with gemcitabine and cisplatin alone.

Announces the conversion of Genaera Corp.'s series A preferred stock to common stock.