Pfizer abandons Ph III trial testing Sutent vs Xeloda in advanced breast cancer
World drug giant Pfizer has discontinued a late-stage trial of Sutent (sunitinib maleate) in advanced breast cancer after data showed that it was unlikely to boost survival more than Roche's Xeloda (capecitabine).
The drug failed to pass the statistical assessment of futility in a 455-patient Phase III trial evaluating single-agent sunitinib versus capecitabine for breast cancer after the failure of standard treatment.
The targeted cancer therapy, which is approved to treat kidney and stomach cancer, earned $847.0 million last year. It is expected to be a key revenue driver for the New York-based firm as it braces itself for patent expiration on its $13.0 billion-a-year cholesterol drug Lipitor (atorvastatin). On the day the discontinuation was announced, shares in the firm fell 1.6% to $55.70
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