Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) Stops Cancer Drug Testing, Remains Confident in Sutent

April 26, 2010 by tisha

has had to stop another cancer drug during a late stage in the process. This time the company halted testing on therapy Sutent has failed due to a high rate of serious problems in patients with liver cancer after taking doses of the medication.

The announcement of the failure is happening at a time that is critical for Pfizer because of the criticism over their other leading drugs, like Lipitor that is used for treatment of cholesterol, are getting closer to the end of their patent protection period. There is a potential for a loss in revenue that could total more than $15 billion if there are no new drugs ready to take their position in the marketplace.

With revenue for Sutent tallying to around $1 billion in sales in 2009, received FDA approval for use in people with advanced cases of stomach and kidney cancer. The drug continues to be tested on a variety of other cancers. Last month, Pfizer stopped two late-stage studies of the drug as they discovered it did not help patients with advanced breast cancer. The company also ended a cancer trial that proved to be ineffective involving the monoclonal antibody figitumamab. In the past, the company also halted a late stage trial of Dimebon which was to treat Alzheimer’s after it too had failed miserably.

Stopping the Sutent trial was done after an independent Data Monitoring Committee determined the drug caused an increase in serious adverse reactions when compared to other liver cancer therapies. Sutent was shown to not provide a significant difference in overall patient survival rates compared to the other therapies.

Mace Rothenberg, senior vice president of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs for Pfizer’s Oncology Business Unit, said “The disappointing outcome of this trial challenges all of us to work harder to understand the complex biology of this disease” Pfizer’s cancer research is based in California but its largest R & D facilities are in Groton and New London. While disappointed with the results for liver cancer patients, the company is still confident the drug will be effective in treating renal cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. They are also looking for ways that Sutent will help patients who have hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, as well as non-small cell lung cancer, and advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer.


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