YM BIOSCIENCES', EUROPEAN PARTNER, ONCOSCIENCE AG, ANNOUNCES INITIATION OF ADVANCED NIMOTUZUMAB TRIALS IN ADULT GLIOMA AND PANCREA...(n health regulatory authorities and addi...)

Canadian sites to accelerate recruitment.

"The assessment of nimotuzumab in these two randomized trials by our partner Oncoscience AG is an important expansion of the already comprehensive global nimotuzumab development effort," said David Allan, Chairman and CEO of YM BioSciences. "The proposed cooperation between YM and Oncoscience in extending the trial into Canada with a common protocol parallels the structure that is already in place for a trial in non-small-cell lung cancer which YM is conducting in Canada and Kuhnil Pharmaceutical Co., is conducting in Korea with a common protocol. The cooperation in these trials is designed to accelerate recruitment and lower the costs to the participants."

Nimotuzumab

Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). To date nimotuzumab has been administered to approximately 900 patients in more than a dozen clinical trials and on a compassionate basis. It has been approved in several countries and is being provided on a compassionate basis in certain countries including Canada, Germany and Australia. The drug continues to demonstrate a significantly superior side-effect profile compared to all the other EGFR-targeting antibodies and small molecules targeting the EGF tyrosine kinase signalling pathway. The absence of any cases of severe rash to date and the very rare instances of any of the other debilitating side effects holds the prospect for nimotuzumab to become best-in-class for this important family of EGFR-targeting agents.

Nimotuzumab global development programs

Nimotuzumab is licensed to YM's majority-owned Canadian subsidiary, CIMYM BioSciences Inc., by CIMAB, S.A., the corporation representing the Centre for Molecular Immunology, which was responsible for the discovery and early development of this unique molecule. Nimotuzumab has been sub-licensed by CIMYM to Daiichi Sankyo Co
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SOURCE YM BioSciences Inc. Copyright©2007 PR Newswire.

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