Curis shares plunge after lead drug flunks cancer trial

Cambridge, MA-based Curis (CRIS) has been handed a significant setback on its lead cancer program. The developer announced this morning that GDC-0449 flunked the primary endpoint in a Phase II colorectal cancer trial mounted by its partner Genentech, failing to outperform a combination of Avastin and chemotherapy. The news quickly lopped 46 percent off the value of its shares. Researchers behind the 199-patient trial were looking to see whether the drug, in combination with Avastin and chemo,...

Older Women With Diabetes Face Higher Risk For Colon Cancer

A research team led by Mayo Clinic physicians has found that older women with diabetes face a more than doubled risk for some types of colorectal cancer. The findings are being presented at Digestive Disease Week 2010, the annual meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association. Colorectal cancer remains the third-leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United...