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LOS ANGELES Aug 23 (Reuters) - A Phase 3 trial has shown that Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) Sutent in combination with Tarceva improved the amount of time lung cancer patients lived without their disease worsening, compared with treatment with Tarceva alone, the company said on Monday.

But Pfizer also said the trial failed to meet its main goal, which was to show that the two-drug combination would significantly improve overall survival.

Tarceva, or erlotinib, is marketed by OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc OSIPR.PK and Roche Holding AG DNA.N. It is approved as a treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Pfizer said no new or unexpected types of adverse events were observed in the study.

"Over the next few months, we will conduct an in-depth analysis to gain further insight into these results and determine whether we can identify one or more subgroups of non-small cell lung cancer patients for a future trial in either previously untreated or recurrent disease," Dr. Mace Rothenberg, head of clinical development and medical affairs at Pfizer's oncology unit, said in a statement.

Sutent, also known as sunitinib, is currently approved for treatment of kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. (Reporting by Deena Beasley, editing by Matthew Lewis

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