Pfizer Inc. Lung Cancer Drug Doubles Benefit, Researchers Say

Pfizer Inc. (PFE)’s lung-cancer medicine Xalkori extended the lives of patients without their disease worsening for twice as long as the standard therapies, according to a study sponsored by the New York-based drugmaker. In a trial of 347 previously treated patients whose non- small lung cancer showed mutations in the gene known as ALK, those given Pfizer’s Xalkori experienced progression-free survival to 7.7 months, compared with 3 months for patients on the other treatments, according to results presented today at the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna.