New Drugs May Be More Effective in Mesothelioma
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New Drugs May Be More Effective in Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

There is evidence that two novel mesothelioma medications may work better than some of the most commonly used drug treatments. Researchers in Stockholm, Sweden treated six mesothelioma cell lines with six different drugs, some of which are already commonly used to treat the asbestos-linked cancer.  The drugs tested include carboplatin, pemetrexed, doxorubicin and gemcitabine, all of which have been used to fight mesothelioma. The new drugs included in the tests were selenite (a form of selenium) and bortezomib (a proteasome inhibitor).  The researchers tested the drugs alone and in various combinations to see which were most effective. “As a single agent, selenite was effective on four out of six cell lines and, in combination with bortezomib, yielded the greatest response…

New Mesothelioma Drug Kills Cancer Stem Cells
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New Mesothelioma Drug Kills Cancer Stem Cells

ByAlex Strauss

Citing “significant enthusiasm within the mesothelioma community”, the manufacturers of a promising new mesothelioma drug say they have begun a major test of the drug in patients. Massachusetts-based Verastem, Inc. focuses on drugs that fight cancer by attacking the stem cells that give rise to them. Earlier this summer, the FDA granted orphan drug status to their stem cell inhibitor, defactinib, for the treatment of mesothelioma. The designation, which is reserved for drugs that fight the rarest of diseases, helps pave the way for testing and faster approval, depending on the results of clinical trials. “Development of a drug that preferentially kills cancer stem cells is a promising approach, as many standard-of-care treatments have been shown to either have no…

New Mesothelioma Drug Tests to Begin Soon
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New Mesothelioma Drug Tests to Begin Soon

ByAlex Strauss

A spokesman for the makers of a promising new mesothelioma drug says the company plans to begin enrolling its first clinical trial participants this summer. Dr. Joanna Horobin is Chief Medical Officer for Verastem, Inc.,  the developer of a drug that aims to treat malignant mesothelioma by targeting the stem cells that give rise to it. The company’s lead compound, an oral drug called VS-6063, inhibits a crucial signaling pathway inside stem cells called the Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) pathway. VS-6063 was approved by the FDA earlier this year as a ‘orphan drug’, a designation given to drugs designed to treat rare illnesses like mesothelioma. “We are moving quickly to bring new treatment options to patients with mesothelioma,” Dr. Horobin said…

New Drug May Slow Spread of Mesothelioma
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New Drug May Slow Spread of Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The first trials of a new drug for mesothelioma show it might be able to help slow the progression of the disease in patients with a certain genetic abnormality. About half of mesothelioma patients have been found to be lacking a gene responsible for suppressing the growth of tumors. The gene, called NF2, produces a protein called merlin which, in turn, regulates another protein called focal adhesion kinase (FAK). When NF2 is inactivated, merlin is lacking and unchecked FAK activity can cause mesothelioma cells to become active and spread. But a multi-center Phase I study of a compound called GSK2256098 suggests that it may be able to slow or even stop the spread of this cancer by restoring the activity of NF2…

New Mesothelioma Drug Granted Special FDA Status
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New Mesothelioma Drug Granted Special FDA Status

ByAlex Strauss

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug status to a medication that may help boost the effectiveness of the standard cisplatin/pemetrexed chemotherapy combination for mesothelioma. CBP501, produced by the Japanese Drug company CanBas, is a novel synthetic peptide that seems to enhance the effectiveness of cisplatin by acting on multiple pathways that govern the lifecycle of cells and the natural repair of DNA damage. By modulating the production of a certain enzyme, it allows mesothelioma cells to become more susceptible to the damaging effects of platinum (cisplatin) build-up. At the same time, it prevents the cells from properly repairing themselves. The drug has also shown the ability to resensitize mesothelioma cells that have become resistant to cisplatin. The FDA’s…