Pfizer says drug shows promise vs pancretic cancer
NEW YORK, June 4 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N) on Monday said its experimental drug axitinib showed promise in a mid-stage trial as a treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
The company said the oral drug, when combined with the standard treatment Gemzar, "showed a trend towards prolonged overall survival," compared with treatment with Gemzar alone.
A trend towards prolonged survival typically means activity was seen with the drug, but results were not statistically significant. A Pfizer statement describing the Phase II trial results did not specify whether the results were statistically significant.
"These findings suggest that axitinib has anti-tumor activity in advanced pancreatic cancer and provide the basis for a Phase III program to further evaluate the potential benefits" of the medicine, said Jean-Philippe Spano, the study's lead investigator, of Hospital La Piti-Salpetriere.
The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
((Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick; Reuters Messaging: ransdell.pierson.reuters.com@reuters.net; 646-223-6034; ransdell.pierson@reuters.com)) Keywords: CANCER PANCREATIC/PFIZER
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