ZD6474
Dr. Ronald B. Natale reported that 83 patients achieved a median progression-free survival of 11 weeks on 300 mg per day of ZD6474. In comparison, only 8.1 weeks was reached by a control arm of 85 patients treated with 250 mg of gefitinib (Iressa) daily. The response rates were 8% and 1%, respectively.
The trial allowed patients who had progressed to cross over to the other agent. There were no additional responses, but 16 of 37 patients who switched from gefitinib to ZD6474 achieved more than 8 weeks' disease control vs. 7 of 29 patients who switched to gefitinib from ZD6474.
Overall survival, however, showed a trend in favor of starting on gefitinib: The median was 7.4 months vs. 6.1 months for those who began on ZD6474.
Adverse events included diarrhea, rash, asymptomatic QTc prolongation, and hypertension, but not hemoptysis.
Dr. Natale, a medical oncologist at the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, concluded that the data support further investigation of ZD6474 as monotherapy.