Eisai's lenvatinib shows significant improvement in progression-free survival in some cancers

Results from a Phase III study of Japanese drug major Eisai’s (TYO: 4523) cancer therapy lenvatinib have shown a significant improvement in progression-free survival in radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Analyses of subgroups showed that in people with progressive radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC) showed progression-free survival in lenvatinib stood at 18.3 months on average, compared to 3.6 months in placebo.

The study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III trial to compare the PFS of people with RR-DTC and radiographic evidence of disease progression within the prior 13 months, treated with once-daily, oral lenvatinib (24mg) versus placebo. Lenvatinib is an oral multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor with a binding mode that selectively inhibits the kinase activities of all vascular endothelial growth factor receptors.