SUTENT® listed on PBS from 1st May, 2009
Friday May 1, 2009
Australian patients diagnosed with kidney cancer will now benefit from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing of Sutent® (sunitinib malate) for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer.1
Sutent® - one of a new class of targeted oral cancer therapies - blocks two processes that cause cancers to grow and multiply, by starving tumours of the nutrients they need to develop and slowing down the process of cancer cells multiplying to form a tumour.2
Over 2,200 Australians are diagnosed with kidney cancer every year.3 Associate Professor Ian Davis, medical oncologist at Austin Health and the Ludwig Institute in Melbourne, welcomes the PBS availability of Sutent® for its potential to improve health outcomes and the quality of life of those living with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
"Up to 30 per cent of patients with renal cell carcinoma are diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.1 The availability of Sutent® has turned metastatic RCC from being almost untreatable, into a cancer for which there is now the possibility of effective treatment," said Professor Davis.
"This particular type of cancer does not respond well to radiation or chemotherapy. Moreover, when side effects of therapies are severe, people may discontinue therapy despite the consequences." Sutent® is generally well tolerated with most side effects being mild to moderate.4 Common side effects include tiredness, diarrhoea, nausea and heartburn.5
"Considering Sutent's tolerability, we hope the availability of this therapy will see patients living with a better quality of life," stated Prof. Davis.
RCC occurs when cancerous cells develop within the tissues of the kidney. In metastatic RCC, the tumour cells enter the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body, causing new tumours in other organs. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, a lump in the abdomen, an ongoing pain in the side, constant tiredness or unexplained weight loss.6 However, many patients do not experience any symptoms.
Risk factors include genetic predisposition, smoking and obesity.1 Prior to the availability of Sutent®, the estimated average 5-year survival rate in metastatic RCC was 10 per cent.7
"For patients with metastatic RCC, the management of kidney cancer is challenging and requires an experienced multidisciplinary team. In addition, it is important to consider whether clinical trials of new treatments might be suitable for our patients, and this should always be part of the discussion with the doctor," said Prof. Davis.
Jo Sterk was diagnosed with RCC in 2001 and developed metastatic RCC in 2004. He has been using Sutent® for 15 months through Pfizer's EMBRACE Sutent Access Program.
"Metastatic RCC was a lot to come to terms with. My family and I knew the disease did not have a good prognosis, but I was willing to try anything that might give me a little bit more time," said Jo.
"Over the last 15 months it has enabled me to continue living life as I have wanted. Last year, I was able to travel to the Beijing Olympics and watch my son compete. I'm now looking forward to the birth of my first grandchild. I am grateful that the EMBRACE program provided me with access to the drug. Without it, I may not have been here today," said Jo.
Since September 2006, Pfizer Australia has provided more than 1,300 RCC patients with free access to the therapy via the EMBRACE Access Program valued at $36 million.
Sutent® is now available on the PBS from 1 May 2009 for patients with metastatic RCC. For further information please refer to the Sutent® Consumer Medicine Information.
1. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Kidney Cancer V.1.2009.
2. Mendel DB, et al. In vivo antitumor activity of SU11248, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth
factor receptors: Determination of a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship. Clin Cancer Res 2008; 9:327-37.
3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) - Cancer In Australia 2008: 2006-2010 Cancer Incidence Projections.
4. Desai J, et al. Sunitinib malate in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor: Recommendations for patient management. Asia Pacific J Clin Oncol 2007;3:167-76.
5. Sutent Approved Product Information.
6. Understanding Kidney Cancer: A guide for people with cancer, their friends and friends, The Cancer Council of Australia, January 2008.
7. Zisman A et al. Risk group assessment and clinical outcome algorithm to predict the natural history of patients with surgically resected renal cell carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 2002; 20:4559-66.