Novartis' breast cancer drug Kisqali has shown promising results in a pivotal trial for patients diagnosed with early-stage cancer.
The drug reduced the risk of cancer recurrence by 25.2 percent, compared to standard endocrine therapy alone.
The efficacy results were broadly consistent regardless of patients' menopausal status or cancer progression status.
Kisqali was used in the trial with standard endocrine therapy to treat a type of cancer that grows in response to hormones.
The drug has already been approved to treat hormone-driven breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.
However, better drugs are needed after surgery because the cancer later returns in between a third and one half of cases.
Eli Lilly is ahead with the approval of rival drug Verzenio in the early setting, but Kisqali looks set to be a pioneer in a wider market because it was tested successfully in both high-risk and medium-risk patients.
Novartis stressed very low rates of symptomatic side effects in its trial, important to patients facing years-long treatment, with severe diarrhea affecting only 0.6 percent of participants on Kisqali.
This compares with 8 percent-20 percent of the women in trials with Eli Lilly's Verzenio being affected by severe diarrhea.
The efficacy results were broadly consistent regardless of patients' menopausal status or cancer progression status.
Kisqali was used in the trial with standard endocrine therapy to treat a type of cancer that grows in response to hormones.
The drug has already been approved to treat hormone-driven breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.
However, better drugs are needed after surgery because the cancer later returns in between a third and one half of cases.
Eli Lilly is ahead with the approval of rival drug Verzenio in the early setting, but Kisqali looks set to be a pioneer in a wider market because it was tested successfully in both high-risk and medium-risk patients.
Novartis stressed very low rates of symptomatic side effects in its trial, important to patients facing years-long treatment, with severe diarrhea affecting only 0.6 percent of participants on Kisqali.
This compares with 8 percent-20 percent of the women in trials with Eli Lilly's Verzenio being affected by severe diarrhea.