Pfizer Inc announced that the Phase 3 INTORSECT (B1771003) study, evaluating TORISEL® (temsirolimus) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) whose disease had progressed on or after SUTENT® (sunitinib malate) therapy, did not meet the primary endpoint of prolonging progression free survival (PFS) when compared to sorafenib. Although PFS was numerically higher in patients treated with temsirolimus, the difference was not statistically significant. Overall survival, a secondary endpoint in the study, showed statistical significance favoring patients randomized to the sorafenib arm. Adverse events in this study were consistent with the known safety profiles for both drugs. Full efficacy and safety data from this study will be presented at an upcoming major medical congress.
Approximately 270,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with renal cell cancer every year with about 20 percent having advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Between 40 and 65 percent of patients in the U.S. who progress following first-line therapy go on to receive a second-line treatment.
"This trial advances our knowledge about TORISEL in RCC. TORISEL remains an important drug for treatment of advanced kidney cancer based on its pivotal study in first-line patients with poor prognostic risk," said Dr. Mace Rothenberg, senior vice president of clinical development and medical affairs for Pfizer's Oncology Business Unit. "TORISEL continues to be an important part of Pfizer's portfolio of therapies for advanced kidney cancer."
About TORISEL® (temsirolimus)
TORISEL is approved in the US and other countries for the treatment of advanced RCC. TORISEL is approved in the European Union for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have at least three of six prognostic risk factors. In a pivotal Phase 3 study, TORISEL demonstrated median overall survival (OS) in previously untreated patients of 10.9 months in patients with advanced RCC with poor prognostic risk, compared with 7.3 months for interferon-alpha (IFN-α).
TORISEL is the only intravenous mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced RCC. TORISEL remains the only treatment to show a significant improvement in OS in treatment-naïve poor risk patients with advanced RCC.
Based on preclinical studies, TORISEL inhibits the activity of mTOR, an intracellular protein implicated in multiple growth-related cellular functions including proliferation, growth and survival. The inhibition of mTOR also reduces levels of certain growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are overexpressed in solid tumors like kidney cancer and are thought to play a crucial role in angiogenesis, the process by which tumors acquire blood vessels, nutrients and oxygen needed for growth.
About SUTENT(®) (sunitinib malate)
SUTENT is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) after disease progression on or intolerance to imatinib mesylate and progressive, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease. SUTENT works by blocking multiple molecular targets implicated in the growth, proliferation and spread of cancer. Two important SUTENT targets, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) are expressed by many types of solid tumors and are thought to play a crucial role in angiogenesis, the process by which tumors acquire blood vessels, oxygen and nutrients needed for growth. SUTENT also inhibits other targets important to tumor growth, including KIT, FLT3 and RET.
About Pfizer Oncology
Pfizer Oncology is committed to the discovery, investigation and development of innovative treatment options to improve the outlook for cancer patients worldwide.
As a leader in the treatment of advanced RCC, Pfizer Oncology is dedicated to offering multiple treatments and investigating new agents in different populations and stages of disease. Pfizer Oncology has helped transform treatment expectations for advanced kidney cancer, providing confidence and options to physicians, allowing them to better tailor treatment for different patient populations.