Putting the Newest Mesothelioma “Orphan Drug” Into Perspective
Last week, the FDA announced the approval of a new orphan drug for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. According to drug manufacturer MTG Biotherapeutics, MTG-201 is an “advanced biologic therapy” that targets a particular gene defect present in cancer cells. This defect prevents cells from producing a protein that is critical in apoptosis or programmed cell death. Without it, mesothelioma cells are free to replicate out of control and migrate to others parts of the body. MTG-201 also appears to trigger the immune system to produce mesothelioma-fighting T-cell lymphocytes that can target and destroy residual cancer cells. The two mechanisms together give it the potential to help combat mesothelioma in a new and potentially more effective way than conventional therapies….