Pfizer Inc. said Thursday the cancer drug Sutent did not meet key goals in two late-stage studies focusing on advanced breast cancer.
The drug is already sold as a treatment for advanced kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal cancer, which affects the stomach.
Both breast cancer studies combined Sutent with chemotherapy and compared the effectiveness with patients only taking chemotherapy.
"Sunitinib (Sutent) has been thoroughly evaluated in advanced HER-2 negative breast cancer, and while we are disappointed in the results, these trials have helped us define the limits and opportunities for the compound and better understand the complex biology of this disease," said Dr. Mace Rothenberg, senior vice president of clinical development and medical affairs at Pfizer's oncology business unit.
Shares of Pfizer rose 14 cents to close at $17.29, then lost 7 cents to $17.22 in after-hours trading.