Questions Arise as Genta Expands Cancer Drug Trial

Updated from 3:38 p.m. EST

Is Genta (GNTA Quote) running into trouble with its highly anticipated cancer drug Genasense?

That's the buzz making its way around Wall Street trading rooms over the last week, as word leaked out that the biotech company increased the number of patients in a pivotal, late-stage clinical trial testing Genasense in patients with skin cancer, or melanoma. The buzz turned negative Thursday afternoon, when the company refused to discuss the issue during a conference call.

The implications of this resizing -- confirmed by several sources familiar with the trial -- are not clear. Adding patients to a clinical trial in progress can be a red flag, warning of negative results. But it's just as possible that there's nothing wrong whatsoever, and in fact, increasing patient enrollment could be an early tip-off that Genasense is working well. ...