New phase III data on Lenvima (lenvatinib) in thyroid cancer- Eisai

Lenvima (lenvatinib), from Eisai, significantly improves overall survival versus placebo in patients with progressive radioactive iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAI Refractory-DTC). New data presented at the European Cancer Congress (ECC) 2015 in Vienna showed that regardless of the time it took RAI Refractory-DTC patients to achieve an objective response , their progression free survival (PFS) remained the same (Abstract No. 2862). A third abstract to be presented at ECC concludes that irrespective of a patient's RAI Refractory-DTC inclusion criteria (either no ¹³¹I uptake, disease progression or extensive ¹³¹I exposure) lenvatinib improved PFS in all groups compared to placebo and there were no between-group differences in PFS (Abstract No. 2864). This updated analysis from the Phase III SELECT study will be presented in an oral session at the European Cancer Congress.

Comment: Lenvatinib received Marketing Authorisation from the European Commission in May 2015 for the treatment of adult patients with progressive locally advanced or metastatic, differentiated (papillary, follicular, Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma (DTC) refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI).