Pfizer seeks approval for three cancer drugs in 2011

Pfizer is seeking to gain regulatory approval of three oncology compounds in 2011.

Applications will be submitted by the firm to the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this year pertaining to the vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor axitinib and the dual Src and Abl kinase inhibitor bosutinib.

The company is hoping to market axitinib as a metastatic renal cell carcinoma therapy, while bosutinib has been designed as a treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia.

In addition, a rolling submission of an FDA new drug application was initiated by Pfizer this month for the first-in-class anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor crizotinib, which combats advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Garry Nicholson, president and general manager of the firm's oncology business unit, said: "Pfizer is committed to working collaboratively with the FDA as we move forward in the submission process with the ultimate goal of offering a new treatment option for patients."

Earlier this month, Pfizer expanded its ongoing partnership with Santaris Pharma to encompass the creation of new treatments based on RNA-inhibitor technology.