Amgen Inc. which is a unit of the Japanese drug maker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. has suspended the trial of new cancer drug. The drug was in a late – stage of experimentation. The reason cited for the suspension is increased mortality rate in the case of the patients using the drugs than those on placebo. 

The drug called motesanib is given in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin to treat a type of lung cancer. Early data indicated higher early mortality rates among patients receiving the trial drug than in case of those who received a placebo, or dummy medication.

The medical community had high aspirations from the drug as it seemed a solution for the long-term health of lung cancer patients.

The data-monitoring committee for the trials recommended that patients with squamous non-small-cell lung cancer who were being administered motesanib should discontinue the drug. However, the committee did not recommend the same for patients with the non-squamous version of the disease.