A new drug for pancreatic cancer patients is to undergo phase II clinical trials, it has been announced.

EntreMed said that researchers at institutions in the US would test an orally-administered formulation of its MKC-1 medicine to examine its anti-tumour function in patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

All participants in the trial will have previously received at least one unsuccessful chemotherapy treatment.

In a statement, the firm said: "The study will also assess the safety, tolerability and overall median survival time of pancreatic cancer patients treated with MKC-1."

Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to diagnose early, with the organ located behind the stomach and the disease presenting with vague symptoms that could be misdiagnosed.

According to Cancer Research UK, the prognosis for people with the disease is generally "poor".

Masters' named patient supply programme has been running for 20 years and can provide drugs still undergoing clinical trials to medical professionals around the world in order to help them treat patients for whom other drugs are unsuitable.

The firm can also supply comparator drugs to researchers investigating new medicines.