New Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Alimta, Veglin, Onconase
New Chemotherapy Drug Treatments
Traditional mesothelioma treatment options have been unsuccessful in combating malignant mesothelioma. Although traditional mesothelioma treatment options are still used, attention has shifted towards newer methods of treatment hoped to yield better results than their predecessors.
New mesothelioma treatment options include:
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
- Gene therapy
- Immunotherapy
- New chemotherapy drugs
New Chemotherapy Drugs
A great deal of research surrounds the development and implementation of new chemotherapy drugs because chemical treatments have the potential of combating malignant mesothelioma in a less invasive way than surgery or some of the other new treatment modalities.
Three new chemotherapy drugs garnering a lot of attention are:
- Alimta
- Veglin
- Onconase
Alimta
The only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the specific treatment of pleural mesothelioma, Alimta is a folate antimetabolites chemotherapy drug, chemically similar to folic acid. Alimta was developed by Edward Taylor, a professor emeritus of chemistry at Princeton University.
Alimta prevents cellular growth by inhibiting three enzymes (thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyl transferase) that are essential in the body's formation of DNA and RNA, thus preventing cellular growth (cancer metastasis).
As a single agent, Alimta is designated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (following chemotherapy treatment). When used in combination with platinum-based cisplatin (another chemotherapy drug), Alimta is used to treat pleural mesothelioma. With its FDA approval for pleural mesothelioma treatment, Alimta has completed its preliminary clinical trial process; however, the folate antimetabolites drug continues to be researched and tested in conjunction with various other chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine and carboplatin.
Veglin
Developed by VasGene Therapeutics, Inc., Veglin is in phase II of its clinical trial at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. Veglin is an anti-angiogenesis drug designed to lower the levels of VEGF proteins, inhibiting cellular growth and stabilizing / reducing cancerous tumors.
Keck representatives presented positive results from phase I of the Veglin clinical trial at the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2004. Findings showed that Veglin was successful in lowering blood levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-C (types of VEGF proteins) in 47% and 21% of the trial's 35 patients.
Phase II Veglin clinical trials began in the third quarter of 2004 and are ongoing. The second phase of the study revolves around patients with renal cell carcinoma, malignant mesothelioma, leukemia and lymphoma.
Onconase
Developed by the Alfacell Corporation, Onconase is a type of ribonuclease protein procured from the eggs of Rana pipiens (leopard frogs). Onconase inhibits cellular growth and initiates programmed cellular death (apoptosis). Aside from its applications in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, Onconase is believed to be capable of helping to treat cardiovascular disease and providing anti-viral assistance to HIV medications.
Phase III of the Onconase clinical trial compared the effectiveness of an Onconase / Doxorubicin combination with Onconase alone, in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Although phase III results have yet to be published, initial findings have not been very promising; this is on the heels of positive findings from phase II trial results recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in which a significant portion of the trial's 105 patients showed improved survival rates.