Scientists have hailed a “truly amazing” new drug for a hard-to-treat and aggressive cancer.
Researchers led by a team from Queen Mary University of London announced that the new treatment “quadrupled” three-year survival rates, extending average survival by 1.6 months.
Scientists say the new drug works by cutting off the tumor’s nutritional supply and is the first drug of its kind for mesothelioma in 20 years.
Chest X-ray of a male patient showing evidence of mesothelioma
(Science Photo Library)
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts in the lining of some organs in the body, primarily the lining of the lungs.
Usually associated with asbestos exposure.
According to figures from Cancer Research UK, there are around 2,700 new cases of mesothelioma in the UK each year.
And it kills nearly 2,400 people each year, with only 2% expected to survive 10 years after diagnosis.
The new study, led by Professor Peter Slosalek from Queen Mary University, saw all patients receive up to six cycles of chemotherapy every three weeks.
Half were also given injections of the new drug ADI-PEG20 (pegalgiminase), while the other half were given a placebo, also known as a dummy drug, for two years.
Mesothelioma symptoms
According to the NHS
Symptoms of mesothelioma in the lining of the lungs include:
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- Fatigue (extreme fatigue)
- High fever and sweating, especially at night
- persistent cough
- Anorexia and unexplained weight loss
- clubbed (swollen) fingertips
Symptoms of mesothelioma, which develops on the lining of the stomach, include:
- stomach pain and swelling
- feel or get sick
- Anorexia and unexplained weight loss
- diarrhea or constipation
Approximately 249 patients with pleural mesothelioma, where the disease affects the lining of the lungs, were included in the final analysis. Their average age was 70 years.
The ATOMIC-meso study, sponsored by Polaris Pharmaceuticals, was conducted at 43 sites in five countries from 2017 to 2021.
Patients in the study were followed for at least 1 year.
Patients who received pegalgiminase and chemotherapy lived an average of 9.3 months, compared with 7.7 months for those who received a placebo and chemotherapy, according to the study published in JAMA Oncology.
Researchers said the average “progression-free survival” was 6.2 months for patients who received pegalgiminase and chemotherapy, compared with 5.6 months for patients who received placebo and chemotherapy.
“In this pivotal, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study of 249 patients with pleural mesothelioma, pegalgiminase chemotherapy significantly prolonged median overall survival by 1.6 months compared to placebo chemotherapy. , quadrupled survival by 36 months,” the authors wrote. .
“Pegalgiminase-based chemotherapy was well tolerated and there were no new safety signs.”
3D image of cancer cells
(Getty)
Researchers say this is the first time in the past 20 years that chemotherapy has been successfully combined with a drug developed for this disease that targets cancer metabolism.
This comes after 20 years of research by Professor Slosalek since he first discovered that mesothelioma cells lack a protein called ASS1, which allows cells to manufacture the amino acid arginine.
New drugs were developed using this knowledge. ADI-PEG20 works by depleting arginine levels in the bloodstream. For tumor cells that cannot manufacture arginine because they lack the enzyme, this means their growth is stunted.
Professor Slosalek said: “It is truly wonderful to see research on arginine starvation in cancer cells come to fruition.
“This discovery is something I have been championing from the beginning in our lab, and our new treatment, ADI-PEG20, is now improving the lives of patients affected by mesothelioma.”
Commenting on the study, Dr Tayyaba Jiwani, Science Engagement Manager at Cancer Research UK, which funded the early stages of the study, said: “This study demonstrates the power of discovery research that allows us to dig deep into the biology of mesothelioma.” Vulnerabilities can now be targeted with ADI-PEG20. ”
Liz Darlison, chief executive of the charity Mesothelioma UK, said: “The UK mesothelioma community, including doctors, nurses, patients and families living with mesothelioma, is extremely proud of ATOMiC. “There is,” he added. This provides another much-needed treatment option and, above all, hope for people living with mesothelioma.
“We look forward to having this treatment available as a standard option for all patients in the future. Thank you to everyone involved for your hard work and to everyone who participated.”
