An experimental treatment by Pfizer (PFE.N) and Arvinas (ARVN.O) has been found to delay the progression of breast cancer in patients with a specific gene mutation by more than three months compared to AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) Faslodex. According to trial results, vepdegestrant increased survival without progression of the disease in these patients by five months, while Faslodex provided only about two months of delay.
The study enrolled 624 previously treated patients with a type of breast cancer that accounts for nearly 70% of all such cancers. The findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
Vepdegestrant, an oral medication, belongs to a novel class of drugs called PROTAC ER degraders, which target specific proteins that spur tumor growth. Its convenience, as it can be taken orally, is also seen as an advantage over Faslodex, which is injected into a muscle.
The results suggest that vepdegestrant may offer better benefits in delaying breast cancer progression compared to Faslodex. Arvinas’ shares have gained significantly after the positive trial results.
Breast cancer accounts for about one-third of all new female cancers each year in the U.S., and approved treatments include Eli Lilly’s Verzenio, Pfizer’s Ibrance, and Novartis’ Kisqali. Leerink Partners analyst Andrew Berens expects vepdegestrant to earn $576 million in peak sales by 2032.
The company Arvinas has decided not to move forward with two other planned late-stage studies of the drug.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-arvinas-breast-cancer-drug-tops-astrazenecas-delaying-progression-2025-05-31