Amgen Suspends Trial of Cancer Drug

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Biotech drugmaker Amgen (AMGN Quote) and a unit of Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical suspended enrollment in a late-stage trial of a cancer drug after patients on the drug died more often than those on placebo.

The trial tests an experimental drug called motesanib in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin to treat a type of lung cancer. Early data showed higher early mortality rates among patients receiving motesanib than among patients receiving a placebo, or dummy medication.

The trial's data-monitoring committee also recommended that patients with squamous non-small-cell lung cancer on motesanib stop taking the drug. However, they did not recommend stopping the treatment for patients with the non-squamous version of the disease.

The patients with the squamous form of the disease had a higher incidence of hemoptysis, or coughing up blood.

A safety committee will review new data from the study in three months, the companies said.