Pfizer Inc. launched its research and development office in the Turkish capital. The office is the result of a strategic cooperation initiated last year between drug maker Pfizer and Turkey's Hacettepe University and it aims to support studies on new molecule discovery.

Pfizer Inc. announced final results from a randomized Phase 3 trial of Sutent (sunitinib malate) in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, a type of cancer which originates in the hormone-producing area of the pancreas. Sunitinib more than doubled the time patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors lived without disease progression compared with patients treated with placebo, according to study findings that will be presented tomorrow at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in Orlando, Florida. An independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) recommended halting the trial in February 2009 because sunitinib showed significant benefit and the primary endpoint was met. The Phase 3 study findings served as the basis for the recent filings of supplemental applications for sunitinib in the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with the regulatory authorities in the US, Europe and Canada. The Phase 3 trial compared sunitinib with placebo in patients with progressive, well-differentiated, malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Patients were randomized to either the sunitinib (n=86) (37.5 mg/day, continuous daily dosing) plus best supportive care arm or the placebo plus best supportive care arm (n=85). Results showed that median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.4 months in patients treated with sunitinib compared with 5.5 months in patients treated in the placebo arm (Hazard ratio 0.418, p<0.001). Sutent also prolonged overall survival, a secondary endpoint of the trial (Hazard ratio 0.409, p=0.0204). Adverse events were similar to those observed in other sunitinib studies. The most commonly reported grade 3-4 adverse events in the sunitinib arm were neutropenia (12%), hypertension (9.6%), hand-foot syndrome (6%), leukopenia (6%) abdominal pain (4.8%), diarrhea (4.8%), asthenia (4.8%), fatigue (4.8%) and hypoglycemia (4.8%). Grade 5 cardiac failure was experienced by 1.2% of the patients in the sunitinib arm>

BioSpecifics Technologies Corp. announced that its partner Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Pfizer Inc. received notification from the European Medicines Agency that the Marketing and Authorization Application (MAA) for XIAFLEXT for the treatment of Dupuytren's disease (a debilitating disorder resulting from excessive collagen deposition that causes contractures of the fingers) has completed the validation phase successfully and that the scientific/technical review procedure commenced. Pfizer has licensed rights from Auxilium to market XIAFLEX for Dupuytren's disease and Peyronie's disease in Europe and other territories. Based on this announcement, BioSpecifics will receive a $1.2 million milestone payment from Auxilium within 30 days, representing its 8.5% share of the $15 million payment that Auxilium will receive from Pfizer under the terms of their agreement in respect of this milestone. Under the terms of the strategic alliance agreement between Pfizer and Auxilium, BioSpecifics receives 8.5% of any milestone payments received by Auxilium from Pfizer, in addition to milestones due to it under its separate agreement with Auxilium. BioSpecifics will also continue to receive a low double-digit royalty on sales of XIAFLEX, independent of indication, territory, sales volume and whether Auxilium or Pfizer sells the product. In addition BioSpecifics will receive a markup on the cost of goods sold for XIAFLEX.