Pfizer's lung cancer drug crizotinib shows early promise

Pfizer's cancer drug crizoinib was able to treat non-small cell lung cancer patients whose tumors carried a specific genetic mutation.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Pfizer's cancer drug crizoinib was able to treat non-small cell lung cancer patients whose tumors carried a specific genetic mutation. That mutation, found in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, is also found in other cancers such as sarcoma, a particular type of pediatric brain cancer, and some lymphomas, breast and colon cancers, notes BusinessWeek. Pfizer hopes that crizoinib's ability to treat lung cancer with the mutated gene will carry over into other cancers.
In the study, 82 patients with the specific genetic mutation were given the drug. Forty-six patients saw their tumor shink by more than 30 percent. Crizotinib stopped tumor growth in 27 of the patients, while one patient's tumor disappeared entirely. "The bottom line is that there was a 72 percent chance the tumor would shrink or remain stable for at least six months," noted study co-author Dr. Geoffrey Shapiro, according to Busines
Related News
-
News Google-backed start-up raises US$600 million to support AI drug discovery and design
London-based Isomorphic Labs, an AI-driven drug design and development start-up backed by Google’s AI research lab DeepMind, has raised US$600 million in its first external funding round by Thrive Capital. The funding will provide further power t... -
News AstraZeneca to invest US$2.5 billion in Beijing R&D centre
Amid investigations of former AstraZeneca China head Leon Wang in 2024, AstraZeneca have outlined plans to establish its sixth global strategic R&D centre in China. Their aim is to further advance life sciences in China with major research and manufact... -
News Experimental drug for managing aortic valve stenosis shows promise
The new small molecule drug ataciguat is garnering attention for its potential to manage aortic valve stenosis, which may prevent the need for surgery and significantly improve patient experience. -
News How GLP-1 agonists are reshaping drug delivery innovations
GLP-1 agonist drug products like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have taken the healthcare industry by storm in recent years. Originally conceived as treatment for Type 2 diabetes, the weight-loss effects of these products have taken on unprecedented int... -
News A Day in the Life of a Start-Up Founder and CEO
At CPHI we work to support Start-Up companies in the pharmaceutical industry and recognise the expertise and innovative angles they bring to the field. Through our Start-Up Programme we have gotten to know some of these leaders, and in this Day in the ... -
News Biopharmaceutical manufacturing boost part of new UK government budget
In their national budget announced by the UK Labour Party, biopharmaceutical production and manufacturing are set to receive a significant boost in capital grants through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF). -
News CPHI Podcast Series: The power of proteins in antibody drug development
In the latest episode of the CPHI Podcast Series, Lucy Chard is joined by Thomas Cornell from Abzena to discuss protein engineering for drug design and development. -
News Amgen sues Samsung biologics unit over biosimilar for bone disease
Samsung Bioepis, the biologics unit of Samsung, has been issued a lawsuit brought forth by Amgen over proposed biosimilars of Amgen’s bone drugs Prolia and Xgeva.
Recently Visited
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance