SAN DIEGO, April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Halozyme
Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) today announced that as a result
of a recommendation received yesterday from an independent Data
Monitoring Committee (DMC), it is temporarily halting patient
enrollment and dosing of PEGPH20 in an ongoing Phase 2 trial (Study
202) evaluating PEGPH20 in patients with pancreatic cancer. The DMC
is assessing clinical data that indicates a possible difference in
the thromboembolic event rate between the group of patients treated
with PEGPH20, nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine versus the group of
patients treated with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine without
PEGPH20. The Company is halting enrollment and dosing of PEGPH20 as
precautionary actions while the DMC's full evaluation of the data
is ongoing.
"Patient safety is our first priority," stated Dr. Helen Torley, President and CEO. "We will
be providing additional information to the DMC as quickly as
possible so they can complete their assessment and we can determine
next steps."
About Halozyme
Halozyme Therapeutics is a
biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and
commercializing innovative products that advance patient care. With
a diversified portfolio of enzymes that target the extracellular
matrix, the Company's research focuses primarily on a family of
human enzymes, known as hyaluronidases, which increase the
dispersion and absorption of biologics, drugs and fluids.
Halozyme's pipeline addresses therapeutic areas, including
oncology, diabetes and dermatology that have significant unmet
medical need today. The Company markets Hylenex®
recombinant (hyaluronidase human injection) and has partnerships
with Roche, Pfizer and Baxter. Halozyme is headquartered in San
Diego, CA. For more information on how we are innovating,
please visit our corporate website at www.halozyme.com and follow
us on Twitter @HALOTherapeutic.
Safe Harbor Statement
In addition to historical
information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking
statements (including, without limitation, statements concerning
future actions relating to the development of PEGPH20) that involve
risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements are typically, but not always,
identified through use of the words "believe," "enable," "may,"
"will," "could," "intends," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan,"
"predict," "probable," "potential," "possible," "should,"
"continue," and other words of similar meaning. Actual results
could differ materially from the expectations contained in
forward-looking statements as a result of several factors,
including unexpected expenditures and costs, unexpected results or
delays in development and regulatory review, regulatory approval
requirements, unexpected adverse events and competitive conditions.
These and other factors that may result in differences are
discussed in greater detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
February 28, 2014.
Investor Contact:
Schond Greenway
Halozyme Therapeutics
858-704-8352
ir@halozyme.com
Media Contact:
Denise
Powell
510-703-9491
dpowell@brewlife.com
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SOURCE Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc.