The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7303 p734
12 June 2004

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American Society of Clinical Oncology: reports (more)

New drug may elucidate important pathways for targeted therapies

SU11248, a new drug being developed by Pfizer that targets growth signals in cancer cells, may elicit a response in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) who have become resistant to treatment with imatinib (Glivec). So suggest data from a phase II clinical trial presented by George Demetri, director, centre for sarcoma and bone oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. The findings of this study could lead to improved treatments in more common cancers, Dr Demetri said.

The study involved 92 patients who had developed resistance to imatinib. Patients received SU11248 in six-weekly cycles of 50mg orally once daily for four weeks, followed by no drug for two weeks. Fifty-eight per cent of patients responded to treatment or did not experience disease progression for at least six months and 8 per cent experienced a partial response.

SU11248 inhibits several tyrosine kinase growth signals in cancer cells as well as having angiogenesis inhibitor activity. Dr Demetri said that by using molecular analysis it is possible to identify mutations in the DNA of GIST cells resistant to imatinib and determine why SU11248 is working in patients in whom imatinib has failed. He added that researchers are moving away from trial and error and towards predictive testing — understanding what is driving a tumour’s growth. “The mechanisms we are elucidating in our studies of GIST will play out in other more common diseases.”

The reports on this page are from the 40th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology which took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from June 5 to 8. The Journal attended the congress courtesy of Eli Lilly