Bayer and Onyx announce kidney cancer study results

Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Onyx Pharmaceuticals have announced that the results of their phase III clinical trial of Nexavar (sorafenib) in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The renal cancer global evaluation trial showed that patients suffering from advanced renal cell carcinoma administered with Nexavar tablets exhibited double median progression-free survival.

Ronald Bukowski, director of the experimental therapeutics programme of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Centre, commented that, traditionally, kidney cancer patients had limited treatment options, especially in advanced cases of disease.

“This landmark study demonstrated the efficacy, tolerability and clinical benefit of Nexavar, which has rapidly become a valuable weapon against this devastating disease,” he said.

The Kidney Cancer Association notes that Nexavar, an orally-administered, multi-kinase inhibitor that targets tumour cells and vasculature, was the first novel drug to be approved in the treatment of advanced kidney cancer in over ten years.

Nexavar is approved for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer in nearly 50 countries worldwide, including the European Union.

Earlier this month, Bayer announced that it had completed its divestment of its diagnostics business to Siemens for approximately 4.2 billion euros (2.77 billion pounds).

This division saw worldwide sales of 1.4 billion euros during the 2005 financial year.