According to a paper published in The Lancet, the second generation targeted therapy outperformed an older targeted therapy in preventing the progression of renal cell carcinoma, or kidney cancer.
RCC patients who received the second generation targeted therapy axitinib experienced a median progression free survival of 6.7 months, compared to patients who received the older targeted therapy agent sorafenib (Nexavar).
Both targeted therapies fall under the category of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors. This receptor is partly responsible for building blood vessels in tumors, necessary for the growth and nourishment of the tumor.
This is touted as being the first head-to-head trial pitting targeted therapies for RCC, and based on the results of this study, atixinib has been submitted to the FDA by its manufacturer, Pfizer, for market approval in treating advanced kidney cancer.
