Pfizer is committed to the discovery, investigation and development of innovative treatment options to improve the outlook for cancer patients worldwide.
Our oncology pipeline currently has both biologics and small molecules in development, including several first-in-class compounds. We now have hundreds of clinical trials under way in oncology, in some of the most prevalent and difficult-to-treat cancers, such as lung, prostate, colorectal, breast, liver, renal cell and various hematological cancers.
Pfizer scientists, along with their colleagues in many alliances and partnerships, are among the leaders in the global effort to develop innovative "personalized medicine" approaches for patients. One example can be seen in our proposed vaccine, now in Phase II trials, to treat the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. Toward that goal, Pfizer entered into an agreement with the German pharmaceutical company QIAGEN to develop a companion diagnostic test kit to identify those patients who are most likely to benefit from this proposed vaccine's mechanism of action.
Pfizer oncology research is also pushing the frontiers of bioinnovation. Our CovX research unit is currently in preclinical testing with a novel molecule, CVX-241, which aims to eliminate two factors that drive blood vessel growth in tumors. CovX's "scaffold" technology combines short-lived therapeutic peptides with longer-lived antibodies, bringing both into a single agent. For cancer patients who must often use combination therapies—multiple infusions or injections—CVX-241 could become an important option in their treatment regimens and an addition to the overall anticancer arsenal.
Pfizer has initiated a global Phase III clinical trial of investigational oral c-Met and ALK inhibitor
PF-02341066 versus standard-of-care chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer carrying the ALK fusion gene.
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Pfizer's novel oncology compounds in development include neratinib for metastatic breast cancer, bosutinib for chronic myelogenous leukemia and axitinib for a number of cancers. We continue to seek new indications for successful drugs such as Sutent, an oral multikinase inhibitor used to treat advanced/metastatic kidney cancer and stubborn gastrointestinal stromal tumors. A supplemental new drug application (sNDA) seeking FDA approval of Sutent for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has been filed.
Pfizer and Debiopharm have entered into a co-development agreement to conduct a Phase III trial of tremelimumab, a fully human anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of patients with Stage IV melanoma. A biomarker will be used to select patients considered likely to respond to tremelimumab. Debiopharm will conduct the Phase III trial, and Pfizer will retain responsibility for worldwide commercialization of the compound if it is successful in late-stage trials and ultimately approved. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, occurs in about 69,000 patients in the U.S. each year, and results in about 9,000 deaths. The number of melanoma cases worldwide is increasing at a rapid rate.
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La Jolla Laboratories is the center of Pfizer's research and development in oncology.
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