Excerpt of Friedman from the JPM conference
"The initiation of a Phase IIb trial in pancreatic cancer midyear is one of a number of studies in patients with solid tumors that we're considering. Pancreatic cancer is particularly interesting as there is an obvious high therapeutic need evidenced by a relative lack of efficacy with existing agents. In this regard, 424 works quite well in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. In addition since there is a high incidence of severe cachexia in this patient group, we think our very positive results from cachexia in myelofibrosis have the potential to be carried over to pancreatic cancer since a cytokine over-signaling and hypercatabolism are thought to play major roles in solid tumor cachexias as well."