Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is the sixth most common cancer in the world. More than 50% of patients diagnosed with advanced regional disease will relapse locally or at distant sites. Initial therapeutic options include irradiation, surgery and chemotherapy. The most commonly used agents are cisplatin and carboplatin, generally in combination with 5-FU or a taxane. Erbitux has been approved for use in first-line with radiation and in second-line as monotherapy. Only about a third of the patients will respond to first-line platinum-based therapy and the median overall survival is about 6-9 months.~Preliminary assessment of a Phase 1-2 study conducted in the UK investigating the combination of REOLYSIN, carboplatin and paclitaxel suggested that patients with head and neck carcinomas may represent a group of patients in whom this treatment combination is active. Studies have also shown that paclitaxel and carboplatin combination therapy may be effective in head and neck cancers, even in heavily pretreated patients and those resistant to previous treatment. These results strongly support the utility of the carboplatin/paclitaxel combination as a control arm for salvage therapy in platinum refractory patients, a patient group with few and poor treatment options and with no gold standard therapy.~This Phase 3 study is designed to compare response rates following intravenous administration of REOLYSIN (Reovirus Type 3 Dearing) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin versus chemotherapy treatment alone, in patients with metastatic or recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.~Overall survival is a primary endpoint of this trial. Patients will be clinically evaluated after each course of treatment and radiologically every 6 weeks on and after treatment. The safety of the paclitaxel and carboplatin with intravenous blinded placebo or intravenous blinded REOLYSIN will also be assessed.
The purpose of this Phase 3 study is to evaluate overall survival and progression free survival following intravenous administration of REOLYSIN (Reovirus Serotype 3 Dearing) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin versus chemotherapy treatment alone, in patients with metastatic or recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.