CTIC - Cell Therapeutics Inc

 About Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Headquartered in Seattle, CTI is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing an integrated portfolio of oncology products aimed at making cancer more treatable. For additional information, please visitwww.CellTherapeutics.com.

the CTIC presentation began at 1pm today,should get a PR on it soon.

Agree. A post-presentation PR will definitely benefit the stock at this point.

Survival Benefit Linked to Estrogen in Women Treated With XYOTAX(TM)

February 15, 2006 13:30:26 (ET)


NEW YORK, Feb 15, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- In a presentation at the BIO CEO & Investor conference today, James A. Bianco, M.D., President and CEO of Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) (Nasdaq and MTAX: CTIC) presented updated results of a phase II study of XYOTAX in combination with carboplatin among 35 women and 39 men with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unlike the STELLAR 3 and 4 trials, where only patients with poor performance status (PS2) were enrolled, there was no restriction on performance status in the phase II trial, known as PGT202. The study was analyzed for overall survival by gender and by estrogen levels to confirm the observation of enhanced efficacy in the presence of estrogen seen in the STELLAR first-line trials. Estimated one-year survival of women receiving XYOTAX is 36 percent compared to only 16 percent of their male counterparts. Consistent with the results seen in the STELLAR 3 trial (XYOTAX/carboplatin), the 12 women with normal estrogen levels (>/=30 pg/ml) survived longer than the 22 women with post-menopausal, low estrogen levels. The estimated median survival for women with low estrogen levels was 128 days (4.2 months) while the median survival among women with normal estrogen levels was 218 days (7.2 months). At the time of last contact, nine of 12 women (75 percent) with normal estrogen levels were alive compared to nine of 22 women (41 percent) with low estrogen levels.

"This phase II study supports what we observed and reported in our prior first-line study of XYOTAX and carboplatin (STELLAR 3) and substantially strengthens the likelihood that the beneficial effect of estrogen on XYOTAX efficacy is valid," stated Bianco. "This gives us a high degree of confidence that we are on the right path by investing in the PIONEER gender-specific study and broadens the potential applicability to all first-line patients, not just PS2 patients."

In a composite analysis of two prior randomized trials (STELLAR 3 and 4), in 198 women with advanced NSCLC who were PS2, patients randomized to receive XYOTAX had a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to women treated with comparator agents (hazard ratio 0.70, log rank p=0.03) with one-year survival estimates of 40% vs. 25% (p=0.01). Results among men were similar to the comparator agents. The most common side effects were neuropathy and myelosuppression. Survival significantly correlated with pre-menopausal age and pre-menopausal estrogen levels, where available, consistent with preclinical findings showing that estrogen enhances the biodistribution and release of paclitaxel from the polyglutamate polymer in tumor-bearing tissues, such as the lungs, allowing potentially greater tumor exposure to chemotherapy than can be achieved with standard chemotherapy agents.

Better results than last year:

Cell Therapeutics 4Q Loss Narrows
Thursday March 9, 10:29 am ET
Cell Therapeutics Fourth-Quarter Loss Narrows on Hefty Gain From Trisenox Divestiture

SEATTLE (AP) -- Cell Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company focused on cancer drugs, on Thursday posted a smaller loss for the fourth quarter on a hefty gain from the sale of its leukemia treatment Trisenox.

The company reported a loss of $18.7 million, or 27 cents per share, from $43.5 million, or 72 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company booked a gain of $40.7 million from its divesting of Trisenox, which offset a charge of $23.6 million related to the conversion of certain senior notes.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected a loss of 16 cents per share.

Revenue fell 85 percent to $1.2 million from $8.1 million last year, following the sale of Trisenox rights to Cephalon in July.

Selling, general and administrative expenses fell 39 percent to $12.2 million for the quarter from a year ago.

For the full year, the company posted net loss of $102.5 million, or $1.59 per share, down from $252.3 million, or $4.67 per share, last year. Revenue fell 46 percent to $16.1 million from $29.6 million a year ago.

Shares of Cell Therapeutics rose 7 cents, or nearly 4 percent, to $1.97 in morning Nasdaq trading.