Despite the fact that lung cancer is both the highest frequency cancer in terms of incidence and the deadliest cancer in terms of estimated annual mortality rates (see Editor's note), few biotech options have successfully tapped into this massive market.

A day after an FDA advisory panel narrowly backed the approval of Dyax Corp.'s Kalbitor (ecallantide, DX-88) for acute attacks of hereditary angioedema, the company expanded its phage display drug discovery deal with Biogen Idec Inc. (BioWorld Today)

A Phase III trial evaluating the combination of VEGF-inhibitor Avastin (bevacizumab) and EGFR-inhibitor Tarceva (erlotinib) as a maintenance regimen for non-small-cell lung cancer was stopped early when a preplanned interim analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in progression-free survival, the primary endpoint of the study. (BioWorld Today)