Trial of sunitinib plus paclitaxel for advanced breast cancer discontinued

Pfizer is discontinuing a phase 3 study of sunitinib plus paclitaxel versus bevacizumab plus paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer. An independent data monitoring committee stated that treatment with sunitinib plus paclitaxel would not meet the primary end point of superior progression-free survival versus bevacizumab plus paclitaxel.

Other trials of sunitinib have not been affected, including a phase 3 trial evaluating sunitinib plus docetaxel versus docetaxel alone for the first-line treatment of advanced breast cancer and a phase 3 trial evaluating sunitinib plus capecitabine versus capecitabine alone for the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Pfizer announced in April that it was discontinuing a phase 3 study of sunitinib as monotherapy for the treatment of advanced breast cancer (see Sunitinib trial for advanced breast cancer discontinued).