Sunitinib for Two Cancers
The FDA has approved sunitinib (Sutent, Pfizer), a targeted treatment for patients with advanced kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), a rare stomach cancer. This action marks the first time that the agency has approved an oncology product for two indications simultaneously.
Sunitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, deprives tumor cells of blood and nutrients needed to grow. It was approved for patients with GISTs whose disease has progressed or who cannot tolerate ima-tinib mesylate (Gleevec, Novartis), the current therapy for GISTs.
Sunitinib delayed the time it took for tumors or new lesions to grow (27 weeks vs. six weeks for untreated patients).
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The accelerated approval for advanced renal cell carcinoma was based on the drug’s ability to reduce tumor size.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 32,000 new cases of advanced kidney cancer and 5,000 GISTs are diagnosed each year.
