GenVec Stock Hit by Pancreas Study's Details

GenVec (GNVC Quote) shares sank Wednesday despite what the company said was a positive update on its experimental pancreatic cancer drug TNFerade.

Patients with pancreatic cancer treated with TNFerade plus a standard of care demonstrated a 25% lower risk of death than similar patients treated with standard of care alone, according to an interim analysis of a phase III study released by GenVec on Wednesday.

GenVec executives called these results encouraging and said the TNFerade study will continue. On the surface, the data do look positive. After all, pancreatic cancer is very difficult to treat, so if TNFerade is reducing the risk of death, there's reason for optimism. ...