A new drug gets FDA approval and is showing great promise for treating
breast cancer. Not only that, local doctors are hoping it can help treat
a type of lung cancer. GTN's Ashley Alvarez has more on their research that could save lives.
Last
week, the FDA approved a new drug, called Kadcyla, to treat a late-stage, metastatic breast cancer. UF and Shands doctors say it's exciting to see the first anti-body treatment be
available to cancer doctors and patients. Doctors say this approval is
opening more doors for further studies in other areas.
"The excitement about this type of research is a similar strategy as
recently been employed in breast cancer which has shown very promising
effects and the hope is we can bring those successes now to small cell
lung cancer." said Dr. Frederic Kaye.
The drug Kadcyla uses a tumor-targeting antibody to deliver a potent cell-killing agent, specifically cancer cells. Doctors are going to use these strategies in their clinical study for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer.
Dr. Kaye said, "The intent now is to use that strategy for other tumors. Patients will
get the standard therapy and then be randomized to either get the
placebo or the additional monoclonal. That anti-body is then
conjugated which means that it's loaded with a toxin that can kill
cancer cells. And allows the anti-body to selectively target it to the
tumor cells."
Dr. Kaye says he hopes this study will change lives in the future.
"Our goal is to improve the ability to achieve a complete remission and
cure patients, so that's our ultimate goal with this study to at least
prolong survival." said Dr. Kaye.
Dr. Kaye says there are about a dozen centers across the United States and Europe
working together on this study. The clinical trial is in its second phase and the center plans to complete the study by next year.
Reported by Ashley Alvarez
