The editor and publisher (Informa Healthcare) of Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy would like to update its readers on the following article:
Figitumumab (CP-751,871) for cancer therapy
April 2010, Vol. 10, No. 4, Pages 575-585 (doi:10.1517/14712591003689980)
Antonio Gualberto
(the “Article”).
It was brought to the attention of Informa Healthcare that there were concerns over certain references and their results mentioned in the article mentioned above. Informa Healthcare investigated these concerns and, after discussing these with its peer review board and editor, Informa Healthcare is of the opinion that such concerns over data and references included in the Article have no impact on the author’s findings relating to the safety profile of figitumumab and other aspects of the manuscript. This is why Informa Healthcare is publishing a notice of concern, rather than a retraction.
Informa Healthcare wishes to refer its readers to the following references used in the Article:
• Reference 47: Karp DD, Paz-Ares LG, Novello S, et al. Phase II study of the anti-insulin like growth factor Type I receptor antibody CP-751,871 in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in previously untreated, locally advanced, or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 2009;27:2516-22. This article was retracted in 2012 by the publisher of the journal. Responses were not able to be confirmed in some patients on revision, and the response rate may have been overestimated. The full retraction is available here – http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/30/33/4179.
• Reference 51: Hixon ML, Gualberto A, Demers L, et al. Correlation of plasma levels of free insulin-like growth factor 1 and clinical benefit of the IGF-IR inhibitor figitumumab (CP- 751, 871) [abstract 3539]. J Clin Oncol 2009;27(Suppl):15s. Final data were published in the following article, which was retracted in 2012, due to an inability to reproduce key laboratory findings. Gualberto A, Hixon ML, Karp DD. Pre-treatment levels of circulating free IGF-1 identify NSCLC patients who derive clinical benefit from figitumumab. Br J Cancer 2011;104:68-74. The full retraction is available here – http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v107/n12/full/bjc2012497a.html.
Therefore, Informa Healthcare would like to issue a notice of concern in relation to the discussion on pages 579-580 of the Article, which cites the above references, on the basis that the references have now been removed from the public record.
To reiterate, the editor and Informa Healthcare believe that the remainder of the biological background and early clinical trials data discussed in the Article are still valid, and as such the amended article and opinions should remain part of the literature.
The author also agreed to both retractions, and fully supports Informa Healthcare’s decision.