Cediranib for Mesothelioma: VEGF Inhibitor Fails Another Trial
| | | | |

Cediranib for Mesothelioma: VEGF Inhibitor Fails Another Trial

ByAlex Strauss

Cediranib for mesothelioma appears to be ruled out by another failed clinical trial.  A new study led by MD Anderson researchers concludes that the VEGF inhibitor causes too many side effects for not enough survival benefit.  It is a blow to researchers hoping to use cediranib for mesothelioma patients on chemotherapy.  Cutting Off Tumor Blood Supply Cediranib is an oral drug made by AstraZeneca. It is part of a class of drugs called VEGF inhibitors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signal protein that stimulates blood vessel formation in tumors. Research shows that mesothelioma patients who have higher serum levels of VEGF have a lower chance of survival.  VEGF inhibitors like cediranib latch onto VEGF receptors inside mesothelioma cells….

Cediranib Fails Phase II Mesothelioma Trial
| |

Cediranib Fails Phase II Mesothelioma Trial

ByAlex Strauss

Some disappointing news for mesothelioma patients and doctors who had high hopes for the chemotherapy drug cediranib.  The oral cancer drug, made by Astra Zeneca, failed to produce the results researchers were looking for in a phase II trial. It also caused a host of serious side effects and was “poorly tolerated” at the only dose high enough to show any clinical improvement in mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer, claiming an estimated 2,500 lives in the U.S. each year. Typically caused by inhalation or ingestion of the mineral asbestos, mesothelioma spreads across the membranous linings around the lungs, heart or abdominal organs. It is usually fatal. Studies have found that patients with higher serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor…