Cabozatinib against prostate cancer
Experimental cancer drug has shown efficacy against metastases
Copper news
An American company has developed a new cancer drug that prevents tumor growth, as well as the formation of metastases, according to New Scientis (New cancer drug sabotages tumour's escape route). The effectiveness of the drug cabozatinib, released by Exelixis, was evaluated by a group of specialists led by Donald McDonald from the University of California, San Francisco.
McDonald and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments on laboratory mice that had malignant tumors. At the age of 14 weeks, half of the rodents began receiving cabosatinib, and the other part received a placebo. As a result, only animals from the first group survived to the age of 20 weeks.
After that, clinical trials of the new drug were conducted with the participation of 108 men suffering from prostate cancer with bone metastases. At the end of the trials, 82 patients had secondary tumors in their bones reduced in size or completely disappeared. An increase in the size of the tumor was recorded in only one patient. In addition, two-thirds of patients reported a reduction in pain caused by the disease.
The antitumor effect of cabozatinib is due to two mechanisms of action of the drug. It blocks the receptors of the vascular endothelial growth factor, preventing the growth of the primary tumor. The suppression of metastases, in turn, is associated with the blockade of the receptors of another protein – hepatocyte growth factor.
Scheme from the site exelixis.com – VM
Exelixis is currently preparing to conduct further clinical trials of the new drug. The analgesic effect of the drug will be evaluated in a group of 246 patients. The effect of cabozatinib on life expectancy will be studied with the participation of 960 patients with malignant neoplasms.
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02.03.2012