Celgene Corporation announced primary endpoint findings and updated results of secondary endpoints from the phase II international LAPACT trial of ABRAXANE (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) plus gemcitabine in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The results were presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO GI) in San Francisco, California. An analysis of patients with newly diagnosed, locally advanced pancreatic cancer treated with up to 6 cycles of ABRAXANE + gemcitabine as an investigational induction therapy (n=106) found that patients had a median time to treatment failure (TTF) of 8.8 months (90% CI: 6.67-9.82), which exceeded the protocol-specified target of 6.6 months (primary endpoint). Secondary endpoints included evaluation of the disease control rate (DCR), overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients treated with an ABRAXANE + gemcitabine induction therapy. The updated analysis found a 77.6% DCR = 16 wks (DCR = 16 wks: stable disease (SD) = 16 wks = 44.9%, CR = 0%, PR = 32%) and 65.4% DCR = 24 wks (DCR = 24 wks: SD = 24 wks = 32.7%, CR = 0%, PR = 32%). The ORR was 32% (CR=0%, PR=32%), the median PFS was 10.8 months (9,26-11.63; 90% CI) and 12-month estimated OS was 72% (64.5% - 78.9%; 90% CI). One or more treatment emergent adverse event occurred in 99% of patients during induction. The most common Grade = 3 adverse events (AE) (=10%) were neutropenia (42%), anemia (11%), and fatigue (10%). In this prospective, phase II trial conducted in the US, Canada and Europe, patients with protocol-defined locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer received an induction regimen of up to 6 cycles of ABRAXANE + gemcitabine, followed by the investigator’s choice (IC) of either (a) continuation of the ABRAXANE + gemcitabine regimen, (b) treatment with chemoradiation, or (c) surgery. More than half of patients (57.5%, n = 61/106) completed the induction phase with ABRAXANE + gemcitabine treatment. 42% (45/106) of patients did not complete induction treatment and the reasons for treatment discontinuation during induction included adverse events (n = 20), progressive disease (n = 8), protocol non-compliance (n = 5), physician decision (n = 6), death (n = 2), and other reasons (n = 4). At the time of data cut-off, 45 patients in the intent to treat cohort received IC therapy after induction: 11% (12/106) of patients continued ABRAXANE + gemcitabine per the protocol; 16% (17/106) received chemoradiation; and 15% of patients (16/106) with unresectable disease at the start of the study underwent tumor resection surgery following ABRAXANE + gemcitabine induction therapy. The LAPACT presentation also reported patient-reported quality of life findings across twenty-nine different symptom measures using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires. Other relevant grade =3 TEAEs included thrombocytopenia (7.5%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (3.8%), diarrhea (3.8%), and febrile neutropenia (3.8%). AEs of any grade included: neutropenia (58.5%), fatigue (50%), anemia (47.2%), diarrhea (46.2%), thrombocytopenia (41.5%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (23.6%), and febrile neutropenia (3.8%).