"There is really no known specific benefit over sunitinib or vice versa, as noted in the PFS data," she said. "The hazard ratios were the same."
Other currently available treatment options for patients with PNET include interferon, somatostatin analogs, metabolic radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
Everolimus was approved in the United States in 2009 for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma, and in 2010 for subependymal giant cell astrocytoma. It is also known by the trade name Zortress and is used in some adults to prevent organ rejection after kidney transplantation.
* This article was updated with additional information on 5/7/2011.