YM will have much to say in 2010

YM BioSciences (TSX: YM; NYSE Amex:YMI) has an active milestone schedule lined up in 2010, with clinical data coming out of Europe, Japan, Brazil and North America for its lead cancer drug nimotuzumab, YM’s vice president for strategic projects and corporate development Sean Thompson said at BioContact in Quebec City today.

The drug is undergoing 11 Phase 2 and Phase 3 international clinical trials, of which eight are by YM’s licensees and three by YM directly.  YM got a big boost in August when the U.S. State Department lifted restrictions against YM’s clinical activity in the U.S. with nimotuzumab, which was developed in Cuba. YM has now filed two INDs with the FDA.

The drug has already been approved in 21 countries and the “first major country could be within two years,” Mr. Thompson added.  Nimotuzumab belongs to the same family of drugs as ImClone Systems’ Erbitux cancer treatment but has none of the severe toxicity associated with Erbitux.

Mr. Thompson played a leading role in nailing down YM’s latest acquisition of Cytopia Ltd., an Australian cancer-focused company, earlier this week.  He told BioContact that the acquisition gives YM two additional, fully-owned clinical products, a footprint in Australia, an experienced management team and the prospect for consortium participation to develop Cytopia’s two drug candidates.