Torisel

Temsirolimus is an intravenous drug for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), developed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and approved by the FDA in late May 2007. It is a derivative of the macrolide sirolimus.

The drug is promising for RCC patients. A phase III clinical study of the drug showed a 49 percent increase in patients' median overall survival time (10.9 months). The drug was administered to patients who had received no prior systemic therapy; however, this study only included patients with a poor prognosis. The benefits of temsirolimus in patients with favorable or intermediate prognostic factors remains to be elucidated.