Pfizer' Reveals Results For Four Lung Cancer Trials

Published: 30-May-2009

Pfizer has announced positive results from four studies highlighting clinical data with targeted treatment approaches in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The ongoing trial is targeted at the company's c-Met/ALK Inhibitor, Pan-HER Inhibitor, Axitinib and Figitumumab. The results for the trials were presented at ASCO, Orlando.

For c-Met study, among 19 NSCLC patients who had an EML4-ALK mutation treated with PF-02341066, 10 have had a partial response, with three unconfirmed; the duration of response has ranged from 2+ to 23+ weeks. Additionally, five patients have had stable disease, with the duration of response ranging from 8+ to 40 weeks.

An ongoing Phase 2 study of PF-00299804, an irreversible, oral, selective pan-HER (human epidermal growth factor receptor) inhibitor, evaluated patients with NSCLC whose tumors have progressed despite at least one chemotherapy treatment and also prior treatment with erlotinib(=8 week). In pre-clinical studies, PF-00299804 has been shown to block the signaling in both wild type and mutant EGFR NSCLC, including forms which are resistant to reversible HER inhibitors.

In Axitinib in Combination with Chemotherapy study, 17 patients (34.7%) achieved an objective response, including three complete responses (6.1%) and 14 partial responses (28.6%). An additional 14 patients had stable disease for 8 weeks. Objective responses were observed in patients with the following tumor types: NSCLC (n=6), ovarian (n=3), melanoma (n=3), head and neck, breast, cervical and carcinoid (n=1 each).

A single arm extension cohort was conducted to confirm the preliminary findings from a randomized phase II study of 156 patients, which evaluated overall response with figitumumab in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with NSCLC.

Dr. Mace Rothenberg, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs of Oncology Business Unit at Pfizer, said: “Pfizer is committed to improving outcomes for patients with NSCLC. We are learning that NSCLC is not a single entity but a family of cancers driven by distinct molecular processes. We are using that information to develop treatments that selectively shut down these processes. By knowing which process may be driving a particular patient’s cancer, we move one step closer to matching the right drug, in the right setting, for each patient.”

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