Novartis' everolimus reduces risk of RCC progress 70%; benefit over Nexavar/Sutent

Novartis' RAD001 reduced the risk of disease progression 70% in advanced kidney cancer patients, according to Phase III trial data that show it is the first drug to demonstrate benefit after patients have failed on Pfizer's Sutent (sunitinib) and Bayer's Nexavar (sorafenib).

Interim findings from the RECORD-1 trial show that the Swiss drug major's mTOR inhibitor significantly extended the time without tumor growth from 1.9 to 4 months and reduced the risk of cancer progression by over two thirds (p< 0.0001). The results were released ahead of their official presentation at the 44th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, in Chicago, Illinois.

Also known as everolimus, RAD001 is an mTOR-inhibiting derivative of sirolimus, a potent immunosuppressant indicated for the prevention of organ rejection in transplant recipients. At present, the drug is approved for this use in Europe and more than 60 countries worldwide, under the brand name Certican, earning Novartis approximately $100.0 million last year.