Dr. Kirkman on the Combination of PX-866 and Docetaxel

Robert L. Kirkman, MD, the president, chief executive officer of Oncothyreon in Seattle, WA, discusses results from a phase I/II study looking at the combination of docetaxel and PX-866, a small molecule PI3-kinase inhibitor, for patients with multiple tumor types, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

The trial enrolled 43 patients with multiple advanced solid tumors and investigated the role of possible biomarkers, tumor shrinkage, disease control, and the time on the study. In total, the disease control rate for patients receiving the combination of PX-866 and docetaxel was 75%. Additionally, the trial found that patients with a mutation in the PIK3CA gene demonstrated a longer time on the study.

These results have caused researchers to investigate the combination more specifically in patients with NSCLC and SCCHN, Kirkman notes. These trials have already begun enrolling patients.