Satraplatin is an orally administered platinum-derived chemotherapy agent that is in Phase 2 clinical development by our co-development partner, GPC, as a chemotherapy treatment for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Approximately 190,000 new cases of NSCLC are expected in the United States in 2007, accounting for about 15% of all cancer diagnoses. NSCLC is the most deadly of all cancers for both men and women, accounting for an expected 160,000 deaths in 2007 - representing 29% of all cancer related deaths.
NSCLC accounts for approximately 87% of all newly diagnosed lung cancer cases. There are three main sub-types, namely squamous cell lung carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell lung carcinoma representing 31%, 29% and 11% of all lung cancers respectively.
The 1 and 5-year survival rates for NSCLC is approximately 42% and 16% respectively. Survival rates are so poor due to the typically advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis. NSCLC is treated with a combination of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted biological therapies, and surgery.
Given the poor prognosis for patients suffering from this disease, there is a significant unmet medical need. As a novel, oral chemotherapeutic, Satraplatin may offer additional therapy options for treating this aggressive and deadly cancer.
