Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE) Sutent (sunitinib) has been an established drug for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a form of kidney cancer, and was approved by the U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006.
But now, rival Exelixis Inc. (EXEL) has reported significantly better results from its ongoing Phase II trial of cabozantinib drug to treat patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma, emerging as tough competition for Pfizer's Sutent. (For more, see Exelixis Finds Success with Cabozantinib.)
With more than 90% of kidney cancers classified as renal cell carcinoma, it is the most common kind of kidney cancer. Around 63,000 new cases and more than 14,000 deaths attributable to RCC are estimated in the U.S. in 2016.
Results
While Exelixis’ drug is approved only in patients who have already received prior therapy, it is attempting to gain approval for initial treatment as well. Pfizer's Sutent already has approval for initial use. The Exelixis trial compared the use of cabozantinib against sunitinib, and the results indicate that it has outperformed Pfizer's Sutent.
The rate of disease progression or death was decreased by 31% by using cabozantinib, and the objective response rate (ORR) stood at 46% against sunitinib’s 18%. ORR is the proportion of patients in which tumor size reduction of a predefined amount is achieved for a minimum time-period.
If all goes well with Exelixis’ cabozantinib, Pfizer will soon get a formidable competitor for untreated renal cell carcinoma cases. (For more, see Exelixis Wins EU Approval for Cabometyx RCC Treatment.)
If all goes well with Exelixis’ cabozantinib, Pfizer will soon get a formidable competitor for untreated renal cell carcinoma cases. (For more, see Exelixis Wins EU Approval for Cabometyx RCC Treatment.)
Pfizer’s New Initiatives
While Pfizer can’t do much about imminent competition, it is progressing further with Sutent's development by targeting for coverage of additional indications. Results from a Phase III study show that the drug worked well for renal cell carcinoma patients who had part or all of a kidney removed as a part of their cancer treatment.
Disease free survival (DFS) measures the duration of time that the patient survives without any signs or symptoms of that cancer, after the primary treatment for a cancer ends. It is a measure of assessing treatment effectiveness.
source : http://www.investopedia.com/news/pfizers-kidney-drug-faces-new-rival-exel-pfe/
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