The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7199 p705-712
25 May 2002

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Trial results suggest women respond better to letrozole

Differences are beginning to emerge between the aromatase inhibitors — the new class of drugs used to treat breast cancer. Results from the first head-to-head trial between letrozole (Femara) and anastrazole (Arimidex) were presented last weekend.

The study looked at 713 postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer who were randomised to receive either letrozole 2.5mg once daily or anastrazole 1mg once daily. Overall response rate was 19.1 per cent in the women taking letrozole compared to 12.3 per cent for those taking anastrazole (P=0.013). Complete response was seen in 7 per cent of the women taking letrozole compared to 4 per cent for anastrazole. There were no differences in time to progression (the primary endpoint of the study), time to treatment failure or duration of clinical benefit and both drugs were well tolerated.

The lead investigator, Dr Carsten Rose, clinical oncologist at the University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, said: "This is the first trial to compare these drugs and shows that letrozole produces significantly superior response rates compared to anastrazole." He admitted that the fact the trial was open-label, rather than double-blind, was not ideal.

A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca, manufacturer of anastrozole, told The Journal that the trial had failed to show advantages for letrozole for all but one endpoint of the study, including the primary endpoint.
— Contributed.