LONDON (AFX) - Antisoma PLC announced that R1549, its lead drug formerly known as Pemtumomab, has failed to meet its primary endpoint in a Phase III study in ovarian cancer.

The group, which specialises in the development of novel products for the treatment of cancer, said that the outcome for R1549-treated patients appeared no better than those of patients in the comparative arm of the SMART (Study of Monoclonal Antibody RadioimmunoTherapy) trial.

"Given these findings, it is unlikely that development of R1549 will continue," Antisoma said in a statement today.

The group is co-developing a number of drugs, including R1549, with Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche under the broad strategic alliance formed in November 2002.

"The outcome of this study will have no impact on our growth outlook and we remain committed to our long-term relationship with Antisoma, which is based upon multiple products," William Burns, Head of Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division said.

"Drug development is a high-risk endeavour and such results are not unexpected in the development of novel treatment modalities," he added.

etain.lavelle@afxnews.com

el/bam

On my watchlist Tabby

A nice 10.58% profit today for Clubby

Antisoma plc ... will be announcing its Preliminary Results for the year ended 30 June
2010 on Thursday 29 July 2010.

Quietly gathering momentumlarge gains in the last couple of days.a good sign leading to the Prelims..I have high hopes with this one!a good punt at a good price

very nice Tabby please don't jinx it with any b*** talk

ClubbyI have a magic wandthanks for advising me to sell out of blnx this morningalas I chose to ignore your adviceIll struggle on

Well done Tabby pleased for you

Antisoma's preliminary results for the year ended 30 June 2010


TIDMASM

London, UK, and Cambridge, MA: 29 July 2010 Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC:
ATSMY) today announces its preliminary results for the year ended 30 June 2010.
These results have been prepared under International Financial Reporting
Standards ('IFRS') as adopted for use by the European Union.

Key events of 2009/2010

AS1413
* Positive final data reported from secondary AML phase II trial
* Secondary AML phase III trial over 75% enrolled
* FDA Fast Track status awarded
* Phase III data expected H1 2011


AS1411
* Positive long-term follow-up data from phase II AML trial
* Renal cancer phase II trial shows further evidence of activity
* New non-clinical data indicate potential in major cancer types
* Orphan drug status for AML obtained in US and EU
* Phase IIb trial in AML ongoing; headline data expected H1 2011


ASA404
* Front-line lung cancer phase III trial discontinued for futility


Financial highlights
* Cash at 30 June 2010 of GBP 32.1 million (30 June 2009: GBP 67.0 million)
* Cash life extends well beyond key phase III results

* Revenues of GBP 20.3 million (2009: GBP 25.2 million)
* Reflects half of the USD 60 million up-front payment from sanofi-aventis
(GBP 19.7 million) for the divestment of oral fludarabine

* Full year loss of GBP 18.7 million (2009: loss of GBP 16.4 million)


Commenting on the results, Glyn Edwards, CEO of Antisoma, said: "We have two
promising cancer drugs, AS1413 and AS1411, both of which we expect to report key
trial data by mid-2011, and cash resources to take us well past these data."

A webcast and conference call will be held today at 10.30 am BST. The webcast
can be accessed via Antisoma's website at
http://www.antisoma.com/asm/media/webcast/ and the call by dialling +44 (0)
207 806 1964 (US toll-free +1 718 354 1390) and using the Confirmation Code:
9656482. A recording of the webcast will also be available afterwards on the
Antisoma website.

-----------------------------------------
Part of the Joint Chief Executive and Chairman's statement :-

In June we announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had
granted Fast Track designation to AS1413 for the treatment of secondary AML.
Fast-track designated drugs usually qualify for Priority Review, an expedited
review process available to drugs that offer major advances in treatment or
provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists.

There is interest from potential partners in licensing AS1413. We have decided
to take a pragmatic stance to realising the value of the drug, and have
therefore widened our partnering discussions to include US rights, which we had
previously planned to retain. However, as we have the resources ourselves to
complete development of AS1413, we will only strike a deal ahead of the phase
III data if terms are sufficiently favourable.

We believe that AS1413 could ultimately find application in a number of blood
cancer settings, with potential sales running to hundreds of millions of dollars
annually.
--------------------
My best guess...nice SP movement today...

Nice 6% rise for Clubby & Tabby

Cash burn was always going to be on the hot sideexpensive phase III trial failure in MarchSP was decimated and good news since has not been pricedASM havetaken steps to reduce our cash utilisation and ensure that our funds take us comfortably past key clinical data on AS1413 and AS1411, which are expected during the first half of 2011...sure its a puntbut I like the odds!.think the SP will end higher today

A webcast and conference call will be held today at 10.30 am BST.

Up 10.71% Tabby up up and away Clubby can do no wrong. The first million was hard but they keep rolling in now.

but about 5% spread!
confess i'm no fan of these micro-minnow drug companies

Good news for employees

Carry on working past 65 as Default Retirement Age to be scrapped in 2011

If one has not made enough to retire at 55 they should be put in a home as wasters.