Pfizer: Three oncology compounds to advance to phase III in 2007

Pfizer has informed its financial analysts that it will advance three important oncology compounds into phase III study programmes over 2007, adding to existing drugs in this field at that level of clinical evaluation.

Sutent – a compound currently being investigated as a treatment for breast cancer – will advance into phase III studies to test its efficacy as a treatment for colorectal, hepatocellular and non-small cell lung cancers.

Axitinib, currently being assessed at phase III for the treatment of thyroid cancer, will also enter into phase III trials for pancreatic cancer.

Investigational compound CP-751,871 will be the subject of phase III clinical trials seeking a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

Dr Charles Baum, vice-president of global research and development at Pfizer, said: “We have compounds in phase III, or nearing phase III, which address more than 70 per cent of deaths due to various cancer types.

“We continue to move our pipeline closer to regulatory submissions and closer to broad availability for the cancer patients that could benefit from them.”

He added that the company has an ongoing and obvious focus on the progression of its programmes in clinical oncology, with its recent demonstrations at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) meeting being a testament to this commitment.

Last month, ahead of the Asco meeting, Pfizer stated it was “critical” that physicians have the flexibility of choosing from a range of treatment options to best customise therapies for specific patients.