Friday, May 29, 2015

International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) studies Defactinib clinical trials for treatment

The drug, Defactinib, is a focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which works by inhibiting the proliferation of cancer stem cells. It can thus disrupt several downstream signal transduction pathways, ergo stopping tumor cell migration, proliferation and survival. Defactinib is currently proven to be beneficial for ovarian cancer patients and is expected to be beneficial in mesothelioma too.


The International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) is based in Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The specialists at the International Mesothelioma Program bring more than 20 years of clinical and research experience into focus to achieve one goal – providing quality life extension leading to a cure. Their team includes surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, anesthesiologists, pathologists, intensivists, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, chaplains, nutritionists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, psychologists, and other clinicians.


Another drug in trials for Mesothelioma is VS-5584(journal article), a novel and highly selective PI3K/mTOR kinase inhibitor. It was recently given FDA approval as an orphan drug. These are drugs which are expensive to develop and required by few patients, so they are given special funding and status byu the government. The designation often helps the development of experimental drugs for rare cancers by giving the manufacturer exclusivity for an extended period and critical tax credits.

Mesothelioma awareness Ribbon


No comments:

Post a Comment