Pfizer Inc. announces it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Aromasin(R) (exemestane tablets) for treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive early breast cancer.

The treatment is coupled with two-to-three years of tamoxifen, for a total of five consecutive years of hormonal therapy and adjuvant (post- tumor) removal therapy.

The approval is based on the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES), which shows patients who switched to Aromasin after two-to-three years of tamoxifen, for a combined total of five years of therapy, had 31 percent more protection from cancer recurrence than those who remained on five years of tamoxifen therapy alone.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine

Following its publication, the American Society of Clinical Oncologists and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network updated their guidelines to support the use of a new switch regimen using Aromasin adjuvant treatment.

Dr. Joseph Feczko, Pfizer's chief medical officer, says, "Pfizer is pleased to announce this treatment advance."