Singapore: Eli Lilly and Company completed its phase III study regarding stage IV metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The Squire study met its primary endpoint and increased overall survival (OS) when administered necitumumab (IMC-11F8) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin as a first-line treatment, as compared to chemotherapy alone.

The most common adverse events occurring more frequently in patients on the necitumumab arm were rash and hypomagnesemia. Serious, but less frequent, adverse events occurring more often on the necitumumab arm included thromboembolism.

Dr Richard Gaynor, vice president, product development and medical affairs, Lilly Oncology, "We are pleased with these data which represent a potential advance in treatment for patients with squamous non-small cell lung cancer, which is a difficult cancer to treat. "If approved, necitumumab could be the first biologic therapy indicated to treat patients with squamous lung cancer."

Lilly plans to present results from this study at a scientific meeting in 2014, and currently anticipates submitting to regulatory authorities before the end of 2014.