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Researchers Working on 395
Medicines Offering Hope for Cancer Victims
Cancer Predicted to
Kill 556,500 in U.S. This Year
Washington D.C, June 23, 2003 - There
is hope for cancer victims today with pharmaceutical researchers
working on 395 new medicines for cancer according to a survey released
by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
Many of these are high-tech weapons that fight the disease in new
ways, while some involve research on new ways to use existing
medicines. The National Cancer Institute and 181 pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies are conducting the research.
The complete 56-page report is available in pdf by
Clicking Here.
The medicines in development, all of
which are either in clinical trials or under review by the Food and
Drug Administration, include 70 for lung cancer, the leading cause of
cancer death in the United States; 49 for breast cancer, which is
expected to strike 200,000 American women in 2003; 48 for colorectal
cancer, the third most common cancer in both men and women in the
U.S.; and 44 for prostate cancer, which is expected to kill 29,000
American men this year.
Other potential medicines target
kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, skin cancer, ovarian
cancer, and others. In addition, companies are working on medicines to
improve the quality of life for people undergoing cancer treatment.
"This commitment to research promises
to continue and accelerate the remarkable progress made against cancer
in the past decade," said PhRMA President Alan F. Holmer. He pointed
out that in the past few years, pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies have contributed to this progress by bringing cutting-edge
new cancer treatments to patients. These include:
a breakthrough drug for a chronic
myeloid leukemia that works by blocking the chemical signal
responsible for cancer cell growth.
A monoclonal antibody engineered to
zero in on, and kill, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells.
A medicine that keeps growth factors
from feeding certain types of breast cancer cells.
"Despite the progress, cancer remains
the second leading cause of death by disease in the United States,
exceeded only by heart disease," said Holmer. "This year, some 556,500
Americans are expected to die of cancer - more than 1,500 people a
day. The pharmaceutical industry's commitment to research, evidenced
by the hundreds of medicines in development for this disease, is our
best hope of stemming this toll and, one day, winning the war on
cancer."
The Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading
research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, which are
devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer,
healthier, and more productive lives. The industry invested an
estimated $32 billion in 2002 in discovering and developing new
medicines. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new
cures.
Here is the background covering a few
of the medications being studied:
GenasenseT, Genta, Aventis
Pharmaceuticals, Phase II
Breast cancer is the most frequently
diagnosed non-skin cancer in women. More than 200,000 new cases of
invasive breast cancer are expected in the U.S. in 2003. A medicine in
the pipeline for breast cancer targets the Bcl-2 protein, which
appears to contribute to the resistance of cancer cells to
chemotherapy. By reducing the amount of this protein in cancer cells,
the medicine may be able to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
The medicine is also being tested in other types of cancer.
PlenaxisT, Praecis Pharmaceuticals,
application submitted
Prostate cancer is the leading cause
of cancer death in men. Nearly 29,000 American men are expected to die
of the disease this year. Both incidence and death rates for prostate
cancer are higher in African American men than in other men. A
potential new medicine for prostate cancer is the first in a new class
of drugs known as gonadotropin release hormone antagonists that
rapidly suppress the production of testosterone, a male hormone that
fuels the growth of prostate cancer cells. In clinical trials, the
medicine reduced levels of the hormone faster than existing
treatments.
TarcevaT, Genentech, OSI
Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Phase III
Pancreatic cancer kills an estimated
30,000 Americans a year. Nearly 31,000 new cases are expected this
year. A potential new medicine for this disease targets the human
epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, which is involved in the
formation and growth of cancers. The drug is designed to block the
signaling pathway, potentially inhibiting the growth of tumor cells.
It is being studied in conjunction with existing treatments. It is
also being studied as a treatment for lung cancer and other solid
tumors.
1311-TM-601,
TransMolecular, Inc., Phase I./II
Brain cancers are among the most
difficult cancers to treat. About 36,000 primary brain tumors are
diagnosed in the U.S. each year, and more than 17,000 of these are
high-grade gliomas, a highly invasive form of cancer that sends
cancerous cells throughout the brain and spinal cord. A potential
weapon against this disease is a radiopharmaceutical containing a
synthetic version of a substance derived from scorpions, known as
chlorotoxin. The chlorotoxin helps deliver a radioactive payload
directly to the tumor cells.
Allovectin-7®, Vical, Phase II
Melanoma is the most serious form of
skin cancer. More than 54,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the
disease this year, and more than 7,000 will die. A potential new
medicine targets late-stage metastatic melanoma. The medicine contains
a gene encoding an antigen that may be able to alert the immune system
to the presence of foreign tissue, inducing a powerful immune
response.
AffinitakT, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Eli
Lilly, Phase III
Lung cancer is the leading cause of
cancer death in the U.S. and is expected to cause more than 157,000
deaths this year. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most prevalent
form of lung cancer, accounting for about 75 percent of lung cancers
diagnosed in the U.S. A potential weapon against non-small cell lung
cancer is an antisense anti-cancer compound that inhibits the
production of a protein that transmits signals that trigger abnormal
cell growth. It is being studied in conjunction with other standard
cancer medicines.
ABX-EGF, Amgen, Abgenix, Phase II
Colorectal cancer is the third most
common cancer in men and women. Nearly 150,000 new case of the disease
are expected in 2003. A potential medicine in development is a
monoclonal antibody that targets the epidermal growth factor receptor.
Cancer cells can become dependent on the growth signals mediated
through this receptor. By blocking the receptor, the medicine may be
able to stop the growth of cancer cells and eradicate existing cancer
cells. |
