Synta Announces First Patient Treated in the GALAXY Trial™ a Phase 2b/3 Trial for Ganetespib in Advanced 2nd-line Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. SNTA today announced that the first patient has been treated in a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of ganetespib in combination with docetaxel in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ganetespib is a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) that is structurally unrelated to first-generation, ansamycin-family Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG or IPI-504, and has shown superior activity to these agents in preclinical studies. Ganetespib is currently being studied in broad range of Phase 2 trials, including NSCLC, with nearly 400 patients treated to date. “Initiation of the Phase 2b/3 multinational randomized GALAXY trial of docetaxel in combination with ganetespib in NSCLC patients is a major step in exploring the therapeutic potential of Hsp90 inhibitors,” said Vojo Vukovic, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Synta Pharmaceuticals. “The combination of ganetespib and docetaxel has a strong scientific rationale as both drugs have single agent activity in NSCLC, their mechanisms of anticancer activity are complementary, and their toxicities are nonoverlapping. Results from the Phase 1 combination study with docetaxel and the combination cohort from the Phase 2 trial in NSCLC have been encouraging. We look forward to seeing interim results from the Phase 2b portion of the trial early in 2012.”