Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are conducting a clinical trial to evaluate a new, three-drug combination therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic ductal carcinoma has a five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent and is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., claiming nearly 40,000 lives each year.
Scientists have made some progress in the last decade to understand the biology of the disease at the cellular level, but advances in clinical outcomes have not kept pace.
"There is an urgent and unmet need for effective treatments for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after first-line chemotherapy fails," said Dr. Neeta Venepalli, UIC assistant professor of hematology and principal investigator of the study.
Patients in the phase 1 study will be given three drugs that are thought to attack the cancer cells in different ways. One, gemcitabine, is an FDA-approved chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping the growth of tumors. It has been the standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer for the past decade.
A second drug, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a protein called mucin 1 that prevents the death of cancer cells and is overabundant in pancreatic ductal carcinoma, is given to patients to stimulate an immune response. The antibody also attracts the third drug, Imprime PGG, which travels to the tumor site to activate an immune response and kill targeted cancer cells.
"Our phase 1 trial combines gemcitabine with two novel cancer immunotherapies – a regimen that has not been tried before," said Venepalli, a member of the UI Cancer Center.
"We are optimistic and excited about providing a new approach to treating this devastating disease."
The study will evaluate the drug combination to determine the highest dose of the monoclonal antibody that can be tolerated without unacceptable side effects.
The monoclonal antibody and Imprime PGG are investigational drugs and will be provided by Biothera, a U.S. biotechnology company.
Explore further: Scientists discover new route to boost pancreatic cancer treatment
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Scientists discover new route to boost pancreatic cancer treatment
May 30, 2014
Cancer Research UK scientists have uncovered new insights into how a key pancreatic cancer drug – gemcitabine – is broken down in tumour cells, according to research* published in the British Journal of ...
Radioimmunotherapy, Gemcitabine combination shows early promise for metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer
May 20, 2014
A combination of several small doses of an investigational radioimmunotherapy and the chemotherapy gemcitabine had superior outcomes compared with radioimmunotherapy alone in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer, ...
New type of immunotherapy shows potential in advanced lung cancer
Jan 08, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—When added to chemotherapy and antibody therapy, Imprime PGG, a type of immunotherapy, substantially improved response rates and overall survival rates in patients with late-stage, non-small cell lung cancer ...
Phase I study of DMOT4039A in patients with pancreatic or ovarian cancer
May 30, 2014
A study presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) describes the results of a phase I clinical trial of the investigational agent DMOT4039A against pancreatic ...
Antibody-drug conjugate may provide new treatment option for pancreatic cancer patients
Oct 21, 2013
Patients with pancreatic cancer may benefit from an investigational member of an emerging class of anticancer drugs called antibody-drug conjugates, according to preclinical results presented here at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International ...
Recommended for you
New test predicts if breast cancer will spread
23 seconds ago
The study was led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center of Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Einstein Center ...
Fish, exercise may help thwart colon cancer's return, study says
20 minutes ago
(HealthDay)—Regular exercise and a diet that includes fish may help colon cancer patients improve their odds of avoiding a relapse, a new study suggests.
Experts recommend blood, urine testing to diagnose rare adrenal tumors
2 hours ago
The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of two types of rare adrenal tumors – pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas – that can raise the risk of cardiovascular ...
Researchers develop process to help personalize treatment for lung cancer patients
2 hours ago
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, in collaboration with the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium, have developed a process to analyze mutated genes in lung adenocarcinoma to help better select personalized treatment ...
Novel NextGen sequencing test developed for retinoblastoma
5 hours ago
Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have developed a unique next-generation sequencing test for the gene linked to retinoblastoma. The new approach is both more comprehensive and can be ...
Stopping the spread of breast cancer
5 hours ago
The primary cause of death from breast cancer is the spread of tumor cells from the breast to other organs in the body. Northwestern Medicine® scientists have discovered a new pathway that can stop breast cancer cells from ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are conducting a clinical trial to evaluate a new, three-drug combination therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic ductal carcinoma has a five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent and is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., claiming nearly 40,000 lives each year.
Scientists have made some progress in the last decade to understand the biology of the disease at the cellular level, but advances in clinical outcomes have not kept pace.
"There is an urgent and unmet need for effective treatments for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after first-line chemotherapy fails," said Dr. Neeta Venepalli, UIC assistant professor of hematology and principal investigator of the study.
Patients in the phase 1 study will be given three drugs that are thought to attack the cancer cells in different ways. One, gemcitabine, is an FDA-approved chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping the growth of tumors. It has been the standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer for the past decade.
A second drug, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a protein called mucin 1 that prevents the death of cancer cells and is overabundant in pancreatic ductal carcinoma, is given to patients to stimulate an immune response. The antibody also attracts the third drug, Imprime PGG, which travels to the tumor site to activate an immune response and kill targeted cancer cells.
"Our phase 1 trial combines gemcitabine with two novel cancer immunotherapies – a regimen that has not been tried before," said Venepalli, a member of the UI Cancer Center.
"We are optimistic and excited about providing a new approach to treating this devastating disease."
The study will evaluate the drug combination to determine the highest dose of the monoclonal antibody that can be tolerated without unacceptable side effects.
The monoclonal antibody and Imprime PGG are investigational drugs and will be provided by Biothera, a U.S. biotechnology company.
Explore further: Scientists discover new route to boost pancreatic cancer treatment
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Scientists discover new route to boost pancreatic cancer treatment
May 30, 2014
Cancer Research UK scientists have uncovered new insights into how a key pancreatic cancer drug – gemcitabine – is broken down in tumour cells, according to research* published in the British Journal of ...
Radioimmunotherapy, Gemcitabine combination shows early promise for metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer
May 20, 2014
A combination of several small doses of an investigational radioimmunotherapy and the chemotherapy gemcitabine had superior outcomes compared with radioimmunotherapy alone in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer, ...
New type of immunotherapy shows potential in advanced lung cancer
Jan 08, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—When added to chemotherapy and antibody therapy, Imprime PGG, a type of immunotherapy, substantially improved response rates and overall survival rates in patients with late-stage, non-small cell lung cancer ...
Phase I study of DMOT4039A in patients with pancreatic or ovarian cancer
May 30, 2014
A study presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) describes the results of a phase I clinical trial of the investigational agent DMOT4039A against pancreatic ...
Antibody-drug conjugate may provide new treatment option for pancreatic cancer patients
Oct 21, 2013
Patients with pancreatic cancer may benefit from an investigational member of an emerging class of anticancer drugs called antibody-drug conjugates, according to preclinical results presented here at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International ...
Recommended for you
New test predicts if breast cancer will spread
23 seconds ago
The study was led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center of Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Einstein Center ...
Fish, exercise may help thwart colon cancer's return, study says
20 minutes ago
(HealthDay)—Regular exercise and a diet that includes fish may help colon cancer patients improve their odds of avoiding a relapse, a new study suggests.
Experts recommend blood, urine testing to diagnose rare adrenal tumors
2 hours ago
The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and treatment of two types of rare adrenal tumors – pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas – that can raise the risk of cardiovascular ...
Researchers develop process to help personalize treatment for lung cancer patients
2 hours ago
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, in collaboration with the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium, have developed a process to analyze mutated genes in lung adenocarcinoma to help better select personalized treatment ...
Novel NextGen sequencing test developed for retinoblastoma
5 hours ago
Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have developed a unique next-generation sequencing test for the gene linked to retinoblastoma. The new approach is both more comprehensive and can be ...
Stopping the spread of breast cancer
5 hours ago
The primary cause of death from breast cancer is the spread of tumor cells from the breast to other organs in the body. Northwestern Medicine® scientists have discovered a new pathway that can stop breast cancer cells from ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment