Imatinib has revolutionized the treatment of unresectable GIST, with remarkable remissions in most patients, even in the face of widely metastatic disease; the recent worldwide approvals of this agent in the post-surgical adjuvant setting also has promise to improve the outcomes of patients further. This clinical advance is all the more remarkable in that metastatic GIST was previously regarded as among the most untreatable, incurable forms of sarcoma. Nonetheless, as we have learned in the past eight years, most GIST patients eventually develop resistance towards imatinib and that further improvements in our therapeutic approach are needed to achieve the ultimate goal of a cure for all.

Infinity IPI-504 Phase 3 RING trial in resistant GIST terminated:

Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced April 15 that it had elected to terminate the IPI-504 phase 3 RING trial in resistant GIST upon the recommendation of its independent data monitoring committee (IDMC). The IDMC’s recommendation to halt the trial was based on an early review of safety data from the first 46 patients enrolled in the study, which showed a higher than anticipated mortality rate among patients enrolled in the treatment arm.