ArQule will increase dose in cancer study

ArQule Inc., a Woburn biotechnology company, said today that it will expand a midstage study by increasing the dosage of a treatment aimed at several types of cancer.

The company said a patient in the current Phase II clinical trial showed a partial response to ARQ 197. The drug candidate is aimed at treating MiT tumors, which are seen in cancers affecting supportive tissue such as bone and muscle and in the kidney.

Shares rose 8 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $3.25 in morning trading. The stock has traded between $2.30 and $8.34 over the past 52 weeks.

"We are preparing to initiate discussions with regulatory authorities to determine the optimal clinical pathway to prove the utility of this compound in sarcomas," chief executive Paolo Pucci said in a statement.

The study currently involves 23 patients being treated with 120-milligram doses. Under the expansion plan, ArQule would include a 360-milligram dose. (AP)