Pfizer
The company previously announced last November that axitinib had passed its phase 3 trial testing it against Bayer and Onyx Pharmaceuticals'
Axitinib extended progression-free survival of kidney cancer patients by two months compared with Nexavar. Patients taking Nexavar saw their tumors begin to grow again in 4.7 months while axitinib delayed the progression for 6.7 months. While two months isn't much, the patients in the study are fairly advanced, having already failed a previous treatment including cytokines or Sutent.
Novartis'
Pfizer might be setting itself up for a one-two punch from Sutent followed by axitinib, but it'll have to do a head-to-head trial against Afinitor in order to secure axitinib's place the treatment regimen.
Complicating things further, AVEO Pharmaceuticals
Kidney cancer may be teetering, but we're far from a knockout punch.