Nexavar (sorafenib) could stop breast cancer progression: Bayer & Onyx

Nexavar (sorafenib) is currently approved for liver cancer and kidney cancer

Nexavar (sorafenib), an anti cancer drug developed by Bayer AG’s and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc could help arresting the breast cancer tumours.

Nexavar (sorafenib) is currently approved in more than 80 countries for the treatment of patients with liver cancer and in more than 90 countries for the treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer.

Nexavar (sorafenib), in combination with Roche Holding AG’s Xeloda, delayed breast cancer progression by 6.4 months, compared with 4.1 months for Xeloda and a placebo, Bayer and Onyx reported in a clinical data presentation atthe European Cancer Organization and European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Berlin.

A double-blind, randomized phase 2b study evaluated the efficacy and safety of sorafenib  compared to placebo when administered in combination with capecitabine in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Nexavar (sorafenib) is also being studied by Bayer and Onyx government agencies and individual investigators as a single agent or combination treatment in a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and as an adjuvant therapy for kidney cancer and liver cancer.

Nexavar (sorafenib) has a very unique mechanism of action. Nexavar targets both the tumour cell and tumour blood vessels.

In preclinical studies, Nexavar (sorafenib) has been shown to target members of two classes of kinases known to be involved in both cell proliferation (growth) and angiogenesis (blood supply) – two important processes that enable cancer growth.

Nexavar (sorafenib) primarily targets Raf kinase, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, VEGFR-3, PDGFR-B, KIT, FLT-3 and RET.

Nexavar (sorafenib) is currently approved for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and advanced kidney cancer, hypertension may occur early in the course of therapy and blood pressure should be monitored weekly during the first six weeks of therapy and treated as needed.

The study also found Nexavar safer. In liver cancer patients, bleeding with a fatal outcome from any site was reported in 2.4% for Nexavar and 4% in placebo. The incidence of treatment-emergent cardiac ischemia/infarction was 2.7% for Nexavar vs. 1.3% for placebo. In RCC patients, incidence of bleeding regardless of causality was 15% for Nexavar vs. 8% for placebo and the incidence of treatment-emergent cardiac ischemia/infarction was 2.9% for Nexavar vs. 0.4% for placebo.

Most common adverse events 20% related to Nexavar for both liver cancer and renal carcinoma were fatigue, weight loss, rash/desquamation, hand-foot skin reaction, alopecia, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Women of child-bearing potential are advised to avoid becoming pregnant and advised against breast-feeding. In cases of any severe or persistent side effects, temporary treatment interruption, dose modification or permanent discontinuation should be considered.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc, a unit of Bayer HealthCare LLC, a division of Bayer AG is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals comprises Women’s Healthcare, Diagnostic Imaging, Specialized Therapeutics, Hematology/Cardiology and Oncology.

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in US.