Pfizer (PFE) Phase 3 PALLAS Trial of IBRANCE Plus Endocrine Therapy in HR+, HER2- Early Breast Cancer Unlikely to Show Statistically Significant Improvement

(Updated - May 29, 2020 4:18 PM EDT)

As announced today by the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group and the Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reports that following a preplanned efficacy and futility analysis, the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) of the collaborative Phase 3 early breast cancer PALbociclib CoLlaborative Adjuvant Study (PALLAS) determined that the trial is unlikely to show a statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint of invasive disease-free survival (iDFS). Patients currently receiving palbociclib in the study will be advised about next steps by their physicians and long-term follow up of all patients will proceed as planned. No unexpected new safety signals were observed in patients receiving palbociclib.

The PALLAS trial compares palbociclib plus standard adjuvant endocrine therapy to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy alone in women and men with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) early (stage 2 and 3) breast cancer and is an academically-led global collaboration, involving more than 400 centers in 21 countries around the globe.

“We are disappointed in this outcome. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and delaying or preventing the development of metastatic disease is a significant unmet need. PALLAS is a large study with many subgroups and we are actively collaborating to determine if there are patients who may benefit from adjuvant treatment with the palbociclib combination," said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Development Officer, Oncology, Pfizer Global Product Development. “Since its initial approval in 2015, IBRANCE has helped change the treatment landscape for people with HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer. We are grateful to all patients, health care providers and our academic partners who have devoted so much to make this important study possible.”

“This result is not what we hoped for, but we are steadfast in our commitment to advancing the science and care for people living with breast cancer,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO. “Given the continued breadth of our marketed portfolio and strength of our pipeline, our growth projections are not reliant upon any individual marketed medicine or pipeline opportunity. Consequently, we remain highly confident in our ability to deliver, following the closing of the proposed combination of Upjohn with Mylan N.V., a compound annual growth rate for revenues of at least 6% through 2025.”

Health authorities and trial investigators have been notified of this decision. When available, the full results from the PALLAS study will be shared with the scientific community at a later date.

Palbociclib is also being studied in patients with high-risk early breast cancer and results from the collaborative PENELOPE-B trial are expected later this year.

In the U.S., IBRANCE is approved for the treatment of adult patients with HR+, HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine based therapy in postmenopausal women or in men; or with fulvestrant in patients with disease progression following endocrine therapy. IBRANCE is not indicated in early breast cancer. The collaborative Phase 3 PENELOPE-B study (NCT01864746) continues to explore the potential of IBRANCE in patients with early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence who have residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

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