Pfizer Inc. announced that is has discontinued a late-stage study of an advanced breast cancer treatment using Sutent, a compound that has been found effective against kidney and stomach tumors.

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Pfizer’s stock priced closed the day at $14.76 a share, down 43 cents or nearly 3 percent.

Pfizer said an independent committee that monitored drug-trial data decided that using Sutent in combination with another drug did not offer patients any better survival rates than a more established combination provided. Sutent’s generic name is sunitinib malate.

“While we are disappointed…we are continuing to study sunitinib in different breast cancer populations and with different regimens,” said Dr. Mace Rothenberg, a senior vice president for Pfizer’s oncology unit, in a statement.

Two other late-stage trials involving Sutent are expected to be ready for analysis by the end of the year or early next year, the company said. These also involve advanced breast cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide.

“Pfizer is continuing to study the potential role of sunitinib in the treatment of various other solid tumors, including advanced non-small cell lung cancer, advanced colorectal cancer, advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer,” the company said in a statement.

Much of Pfizer’s oncology-product development is conducted at its worldwide research-and-development headquarters in Groton and New London. The R&D operations employ 5,000 people locally.

Source: TheDay.com

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