Votrient (pazopanib)
Pazopanib significantly improved progression-free survival by 47% in patients with progressive carcinoid tumors, in a prospective randomized phase II trial presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.The study enrolled 171 patients with locally advanced or metastatic low- or intermediate-grade carcinoid tumors arising in the foregut, midgut, hindgut, or other nonpancreatic site; they all showed radiologic evidence of progressive disease within 12 months. The median progression-free survival by central review was 11.6 months for patients receiving the VEGF inhibitor, vs 8.5 months for those receiving placebo (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.53; P = .0005), and similar results were shown by investigator review. Overall survival did not significantly differ, however, with median survival times of 41.3 months with pazopanib and 42.4 months with placebo. The potential benefits of pazopanib should be viewed in light of its increased risk for toxicity, Dr. Bergsland acknowledged. The rate of grade 3 toxicities deemed to be related to treatment was 61% for pazopanib and 21% for placebo. Notably, hypertension grade 3 was observed in 27% and 4%, respectively, although just one pazopanib-treated patient experienced grade 4 hypertension.Although pazopanib was also associated with more symptoms such as diarrhea, appetite loss, and fatigue, overall quality of life was similar between the treatment arms.
Bergsland EK, Mahoney MR, Asmis TR, et al: Prospective randomized phase II trial of pazopanib versus placebo in patients with progressive carcinoid tumors (Alliance A021202). 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting. Abstract 4005. Presented June 2, 2019.