On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer’s Inlyta drug for treating patients with advanced kidney cancer. Inlyta is one of seven FDA approved kidney cancer drugs since 2005.
Inlyta,also known as axitinib, works by blocking certain cell receptors responsible for tumor growth. As a result, the drug helps slow the progress of kidney cancer in patients. In trials, Inlyta was shown to shrink tumors in 19 percent of subjects who took Inlyta, compared to 9 percent of subjects who took Nexavar, an alternative treatment.
According to Pfizer, Inlyta will cost on average less than $8,900 per month, which remains competitive among other approved advanced kidney cancer drugs.
Common side effects of Inlyta included diarrhea, high blood pressure, loss of voice, weight loss and vomiting. According to the FDA, patients with high blood pressure should control their blood pressure before taking Inlyta. In addition, people with untreated brain tumors or intestinal bleeding should not take Inlyta.
Inlyta is awaiting an approval for use in Europe.
In addition, Pfizer is continuing tests with Inlyta in other late-stage trial for kidney cancer, examining its effects as an initial treatment option and in previously treated patients. Inlyta is also undergoing tests as a potential treatment for liver cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 61,000 Americans were diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2011, and as a result, about 20 percent will die from the cancer. In addition, at the time of diagnosis, about 20 to 30 percent of patients have advanced stage disease.
This FDA drug approval is good news for Pfizer, a company searching for new drugs to replace the lost revenues from Lipitor. Last month, Pfizer received approval to sell Prevnar, a pneumonia vaccine for older adults and children. By expanding their drug in larger populations, Pfizer hopes to generate more profits. With Prevnar alone, Pifizer estimates more than $1.5 billion in sales.
