Pfizer to highlight new cancer research at ASCO 2011

Pfizer has outlined its plans to highlight research data on a number of its new cancer therapies at the forthcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.

More than 30 abstracts will be presented by the company at the conference in June 2011, including trial data on the approved product Sutent and the investigational compounds axitinib, crizotinib and bosutinib.

This will include results from a phase III clinical trials axitinib to sorafenib in renal cell carcinoma patients, as well as investigations of bosutinib for leukaemia and sunitinib for prostate cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr Mace Rothenberg, senior vice-president of clinical development and medical affairs for Pfizer's oncology business unit, added that early-stage data will also be presented to highlight promising new treatment pathways.

"The research we are presenting at ASCO represents Pfizer's continued commitment to finding novel treatment solutions and improving the lives of patients with cancer," he said.

Earlier this month, the company published new clinical data that demonstrated the benefits offered by its pneumococcal disease vaccine Prevnar 13 to older patients.