SERVIER
16.1.2021 22:17:39 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Servier announced today updated results from the exploratory phase II TASCO1 study evaluating LONSURF® (trifluridine/tipiracil) + bevacizumab and capecitabine + bevacizumab (C-B) in a first-line setting for patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who are non-eligible for intensive therapy.1 The data were announced today during an oral presentation at the 2021 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GI). Patients with mCRC who are not eligible for chemotherapy face a large unmet need, with fewer treatment options available to them and lower survival rates.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) makes up 9.7% of total global cancer cases, with almost 1.4 million new cases of CRC each year.2 In Europe, CRC is the second most common cause of death due to cancer, and those with a metastatic disease have a 5-year survival rate of just 11%.3
“For patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, those non-eligible for standard combination therapy have few options left and we are continuously searching for new ways to give these patients more hope,” said Professor Eric Van Cutsem, Leuven, Belgium “The data from TASCO1 are very encouraging and provide evidence that trifluridine/tipiracil + bevacizumab is a beneficial treatment combination for these patients.”
In the exploratory phase II TASCO1 study, 153 patients were randomized and followed until September 1, 2020.1 The updated results showed that the median overall survival (OS) was 22.3 months with LONSURF + bevacizumab, whereas it was 17.6 months with C-B. This data translates into an improved median OS of 4.6 months with LONSURF + bevacizumab when compared with C-B (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.55, 1.10). The survival probability at 18 months with LONSURF + bevacizumab was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.50, 0.72) and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.35, 0.57) with C-B.1 It should be noted that this was an exploratory, non-comparative study.
“We are very pleased with the updated results from the phase II TASCO1 study and we are continuing with our research into this promising combination in multiple mCRC settings. These data support all efforts that went into the confirmatory phase III SOLSTICE study. The results are expected in 2021,” said Patrick Therasse, M.D., Ph. D., Head of Servier Late Stage and Life Cycle Management Oncology, “Patients with mCRC who are not eligible for intensive chemotherapy have limited options and further clinical trials for additional treatments are highly anticipated by the clinical and patient communities alike.”
#ENDS#
About TASCO1
TASCO1 is an open-label, randomized, non-comparative Phase II study evaluating LONSURF® + bevacizumab and capecitabine plus bevacizumab in patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer who are non-eligible for intensive therapy. From April 2016 to March 2017, 153 patients were randomized and followed until end-of-study on September 1, 2020. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, and the key secondary endpoint was overall survival.
For more information on TASCO1, please visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02743221 ). The ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is NCT02743221.
About SOLSTICE
SOLSTICE is an open-label, randomized, multicentre Phase III trial in 854 unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer patients who are not candidates for, or do not require, intensive therapy. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive first-line LONSURF® + bevacizumab versus capecitabine + bevacizumab. The primary objective is to demonstrate superior progression-free survival with LONSURF® + bevacizumab over capecitabine + bevacizumab. The first patient was enrolled in March 2019. Results are expected in 2021.
For more information on SOLSTICE, please visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03869892 ). The ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is NCT03869892.
About Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide with approximately 1.8 million new diagnoses in 2018. Each year there are over 880,000 deaths, making it the second biggest cancer killer worldwide (after lung cancer).3
For those with metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread from the primary site), the average 5-year survival is approximately 11%.4 Standard chemotherapy regimens for advanced mCRC include fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, irinotecan or targeted treatments, such as those that target vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) or endothelial growth factor receptors (EGFR).
Over the last decade, clinical outcomes for patients with mCRC have improved considerably due to the advent of novel treatment agents, predictive biomarkers, and a more strategic approach to the delivery of systemic therapies. Currently, the median overall survival for patients with mCRC being treated both in phase III trials and in large observational series or registries is 30 months – more than double that of 20 years ago.5,6,7
About LONSURF ®8
LONSURF® consists of a thymidine-based nucleoside analog, trifluridine, and the thymidine phosphorylase (TP) inhibitor, tipiracil, which increases trifluridine exposure by inhibiting its metabolism by TP. Trifluridine is incorporated into DNA, resulting in DNA dysfunction and inhibition of cell proliferation.
In the EU, LONSURF® is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who have been previously treated with, or are not considered candidates for, available therapies including fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapies, anti- VEGF agents, and anti-EGFR agents. LONSURF® is also indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC), including adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (mGEJC), who have been previously treated with at least two prior systemic treatment regimens for advanced disease.
As of November 2020, LONSURF® has been approved in 91 countries for the treatment of advanced mCRC and in 56 countries for the treatment of advanced mGC/mGEJC.
LONSURF® was discovered and developed by Taiho Pharmaceutical. In June 2015, Taiho Pharmaceutical and Servier entered into an exclusive license agreement for the co-development and commercialization of LONSURF® in Europe and other countries outside of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Asia.
About Servier
Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 150 countries and a total revenue of 4.6 billion euros in 2019, Servier employs 22,000 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group invests on average 25% of its total revenue (excluding generics) every year in research and development and uses all its profits for its development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier’s constant commitment in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development. More information: www.servier.com
Follow us on Social Media:
1 Van Cutsem E, Danielewicz I, Saunders MP, et al. Phase II study evaluating trifluridine/tipiracil + bevacizumab and capecitabine + bevacizumab in first-line unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who are non-eligible for intensive therapy (TASCO1): results of the final analysis on the overall survival. ASCO GI 2021.
2 Digestive Cancers Europe. Prevalence of Colorectal Cancer. https://digestivecancers.eu/colorectal-cancer/prevalence-of-colorectal-cancer-prevalence/?menu_id=13873 Last accessed December 2020.
3 World Health Organisation. GLOBOCAN. Cancer today. Estimated age-standardized incidence rates (World) in 2018, all cancers, both sexes, all ages. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/online-analysis-map?v=2018&mode=population&mode_population=continents&population=900&populations=900&key=asr&sex=0&cancer=39&type=0&statistic=5&prevalence=0&population_group=0&ages_group%5B%5D=0&ages_group%5B%5D=17&nb_items=10&group_cancer=1&include_nmsc=1&include_nmsc_other=1&projection=natural-earth&color_palette=default&map_scale=quantile&map_nb_colors=5&continent=0&rotate=%255B10%252C0%255D Last accessed May 2020.
4 American Cancer Society. Survival Rates for Colorectal Cancer, by Stage. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html Last accessed December 2020.
5 Brenner H, Kloor M, Pox CP. Colorectal cancer. Lancet (London, England). 2014;383(9927):1490-1502.
6 Price TJ, Segelov E, Burge M, et al. Current opinion on optimal systemic treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer: outcome of the ACTG/AGITG expert meeting ECCO 2013. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther . 2014;14(12):1477-1493.
7 Van Cutsem E, Cervantes A, Adam R, et al. ESMO consensus guidelines for the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Ann Oncol . 2016;27(8):1386-1422.
8 European Medicines Agency. LONSURF European Public assessment report. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/LONSURF#authorisation-details-section Last accessed December 2020.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210116005002/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
L&T Technology Services Launches AgenticIQ™, an End-to-End Agentic AI Platform for Engineering, Manufacturing and Customer Experience11.8.2026 11:30:00 CEST | Press release
Highlights:Purpose-built to help organizations scale autonomous, domain-aware AI agents from pilots to productionLays the foundation for LTTS’ next-generation Engineering Intelligence solutions and Agentic-led engineering delivery L&T Technology Services (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), a global leader in Engineering Intelligence Solutions & ER&D Consulting Services, today announced the launch of AgenticIQ™, an end-to-end Agentic AI platform purpose-built for engineering and manufacturing organizations. Designed to help enterprises move beyond isolated AI pilots, AgenticIQ™ enables autonomous, multi-agent workflows across engineering, product development, manufacturing, industrial operations and customer experience, accelerating the adoption of Engineering Intelligence at scale. As enterprises increase investments in AI, many initiatives continue to struggle to move beyond proof-of-concepts into production. Disconnected engineering systems, manual processes and highly regulated environments o
Naser Taher Named Among Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 CEOs 202611.8.2026 11:00:00 CEST | Press release
Recognition highlights the MultiBank Group Founder and Chairman’s leadership, global experience and contribution to the financial services industry MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest and most regulated financial derivatives institutions, has announced that its Founder and Chairman, Naser Taher, has been named among Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 CEOs 2026, recognising his longstanding leadership and achievements in the global financial services industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260811229836/en/ Naser Taher has been named among Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 CEOs 2026, recognising his longstanding leadership and achievements in the global financial services industry. The annual Forbes Middle East Top 100 CEOs list celebrates prominent business leaders who are shaping the region’s corporate landscape and leading organisations with significant scale, influence and impact. The ranking brings together
teamLab Unveils New Series from Light Sculpture - Flow at teamLab Borderless. Special Exhibit, "On the Asymmetry of the Universe," on View Through October 811.8.2026 11:00:00 CEST | Press release
teamLab reopens the Light Sculpture - Flow series artwork space at teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo from July 8, 2026. To commemorate the reopening, teamLab unveils two new series, Asymmetric Existence and Chromatic Existence, featured in the special exhibit "On the Asymmetry of the Universe." The special exhibit, “On the Asymmetry of the Universe,” runs from Wednesday, July 8, 2026 through Thursday, October 8, 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260807256066/en/ Light Sculpture - Flow The inside and outside of an ocean vortex are composed of the same water; there is no material difference between them. Yet, despite this, why do we perceive a vortex as a singular entity, or even sense a form of life within it? The difference between the inside and outside of a vortex lies in the order, not the material. When order is born within a flow, existence emerges even with
KIOGE 2026 Marks 30 Years of Connecting the Global Energy Industry with Central Asia11.8.2026 10:21:00 CEST | Press release
30 September – 2 October 2026 As Kazakhstan strengthens its position as one of Eurasia's leading energy markets, KIOGE 2026 – the 30th Kazakhstan International Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference – invites international companies to explore business opportunities and establish partnerships across Central Asia's evolving oil and gas sector. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260811699632/en/ Almassadam Satkaliyev, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2024, speaking at KIOGE (Photo: AETOSWire) For three decades, KIOGE has connected global manufacturers, technology providers, EPC contractors, service companies and investors with key decision-makers shaping Kazakhstan's energy industry. For companies entering the market or expanding their regional presence, the event provides direct access to one of Central Asia's most significant energy economies. KIOGE 2026 has already attracted more than 235 compani
Cambridge International AS & A Level Entries Grow 5% Amid Rising Higher Education Demand for Flexible, Skills-Based Qualifications11.8.2026 08:03:00 CEST | Press release
Around 368,000 Cambridge International AS & A Level students receive results todayNearly 705,000 students in 148 countries sat Cambridge exams in the June series, with total entries up to 1.7 million Cambridge International Education (Cambridge) has begun releasing the results of its June 2026 exam series to students worldwide. Entries for Cambridge International AS & A Levels rose 5% on last year, with almost 368,000 students in 3492 schools worldwide receiving Cambridge International AS & A Level results today. This continued growth reflects the increasing global demand for qualifications that provide a trusted route to higher education. Recognised by more than 2500 universities worldwide, Cambridge International AS & A Levels equip learners with the academic knowledge, independent thinking and problem-solving skills needed to succeed at university and beyond. Their acceptance now extends well beyond traditional destinations such as the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, with leading
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom
