Approval of Dendreon's Provenge an achievement but challenges lie ahead, says Datamonitor; Seeking Alpha views prospects

Reviewing last week's US approval of Dendreon's Provenge (sipuleucel-T) for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (The Pharma Letter April 30), Fleur Pijpers, senior oncology analyst at Datamonitor, comments: 'While a significant step forward in the treatment of cancer, it remains to be seen how frequently Provenge is used. The current standard of care is Taxotere (docetaxel)-based chemotherapy, which is comparatively easier to manufacture and administer, but is associated with significant toxicity.'

She continued: 'Provenge will be used in castration-resistant prostate cancer. At present, these patients are typically treated with standard Taxotere (from France's Sanofi-Aventis)-based chemotherapy. Taxotere is relatively simple in terms of manufacture and use, capable of immediate, 'off the shelf' administration. In comparison, an autologous vaccine like Provenge requires a costly and labor-intensive manufacturing process. Provenge's approval in asymptomatic or minimally asymptomatic patients indicates that the vaccine may be used before Taxotere. Presumably once patients progress and become symptomatic after Provenge, Taxotere will still be required.'

High cost may hinder uptake