Bayer AG’s key experimental anti-cancer drug BAY 43-9006 can be combined with other anti-cancer agents, according to results from a Phase I trial, the German drugs and chemicals group said on Tuesday.

Bayer said data from Phase I safety and metabolism studies showed the drug could be given with anti-cancer agents doxorubicin, oxaliplatin, fluorouracil and leucovorin.

In addition, the drug - being developed with Onyx Pharmaceuticals - needed no dose adjustment when given with ketoconazole. Safety data from all studies showed no unexpected treatment-related adverse events, it said.

The trial results were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology meeting in Vienna.

BAY 43-9006 is in Phase III trials for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer, and Bayer and Onyx intend to initiate additional Phase II and III trials in other tumor types.

Analysts say the drug could fetch as much as 500 million euros ($635 million) in peak annual sales.

It is vital for Bayer, whose drugs unit has been hit by a poor pipeline, generic competition to antibiotic Cipro and a $1 billion-plus recall of its anti-cholesterol drug Baycol.

Bayer shares were up 0.9 percent at 22.75 euros at 1451 GMT, outperforming a 0.3 percent rise in the DAX bluechip index.