Whitehouse Station, NJ-based Merck and Cambridge-based Ariad announced positive results from a Phase 3 study of their sarcoma drug, ridaforolimus, at the conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today. Ridaforolimus blocks the mTOR protein, a master biological switch that allows tumors to grow and thrive. The study showed a 28 percent reduction in the risk of progression or death in those treated with ridaforolimus compared to placebo. Based on the drug’s performance in the trial, called Succeed, Merck plans to file for approval in the U.S. and Europe this year.
Author: Arlene Weintraub
Arlene is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences and technology. She was previously a senior health writer based out of the New York City headquarters of BusinessWeek, where she wrote hundreds of articles that explored both the science and business of health. Her freelance pieces have been published in USA Today, US News & World Report, Technology Review, and other media outlets. Arlene has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Her book about the anti-aging industry, Selling the Fountain of Youth, was published by Basic Books in September 2010.
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