Pfizer Discontinues Phase III Study of Axitinib

January 31, 2009 | Filed Under cancer, research, treatment | No Comments

Pfizer Inc announced today the discontinuation of a Phase III study of its investigational agent axitinib for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. Based on an interim analysis, an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) found no evidence of improvement in the primary endpoint of survival in patients treated with axitinib and gemcitabine, compared to gemcitabine alone, the current standard of care for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

“These results were disappointing, given the trend towards prolonged survival seen in a Phase II study of axitinib in this extremely difficult-to-treat patient population,” said Mace L. Rothenberg, M.D., senior vice president, clinical development and medical affairs, Pfizer’s Oncology Business Unit. “However, we remain steadfastly committed to continued investigation of axitinib in renal cell carcinoma where it is currently in Phase III for 2nd line treatment.”

The Company has notified all clinical trial investigators involved in the study and regulatory agencies of these interim findings and recommends patients discontinue treatment with axitinib. Pfizer encourages investigators to determine the best course of action for their patients. The full data set from this study is being analyzed and more details will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. In the past 20 years, there have been only 2 widely approved treatments, with many other drugs failing in Phase III trials.

“We have a robust pipeline of compounds in clinical development and will determine if one or more of those compounds can move forward in pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Rothenberg. “We also are continuing to evaluate axitinib in Phase II trials in other tumor types, including advanced non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer.”

Axitinib is an oral and selective inhibitor of VEGF receptors 1, 2 and 3. Axitinib is an investigational agent and has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other global regulatory agencies.

Cranberry Juice Promotes Cancer-Killing Power Of Drugs

January 23, 2009 | Filed Under alternative therapy, cancer, chemotherapy, nutrition, treatment | No Comments

Cranberries are nontoxic, and the compounds they contain are part of the family of flavonoids found in grape seeds, which have been shown to be potentially beneficial in breast cancer. Compounds isolated from cranberries can kill human ovary, brain, and prostate cancer cells in laboratory studies. Chemotherapy treatment commonly centers on platinum drugs, such as cisplatin (Platinol®) and paraplatin (Carboplatin®). Platinum-based chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for ovarian cancer. However, many women develop therapeutic resistance, and everhigher doses must be used that can raise the risk of both nerve damage and kidney failure.

To assess the cranberries’ ability to alleviate this problem, Ajay P. Singh, Ph.D., from Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey, teamed up with K. S. Satyan, Ph.D., from Brown Medical School’s Women and Infants Hospital. They determined that in the presence of cranberry extract, platinum chemotherapy was six times more effective against platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cells.

The authors collected ovarian cancer cells from patients experiencing platinum drug resistance. They then exposed some of the cells to a purified extract drawn from a store-bought cranberry drink that contained 27 percent pure juice. The doses varied, reaching a maximum of about one cup of juice. All of the cancer cells were then treated with paraplatin chemotherapy. Cells that were pretreated with the juice extract were killed at a rate that was equal to six times that of cells unexposed to cranberry components. The juice also appeared to slow both the growth and spread of some cancer cells.

This anticancer activity seems to come from a family of chemicals called proanthocyanidins, although it is not known exactly how the cranberry compounds work. Researchers believe an antioxidant unique to cranberries appears to bind with and block the activity of tumor proteins found in ovarian cancer cells, increasing their sensitivity to chemotherapy. Dr. Singh and his colleagues tested these substances against platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cells in their laboratory. They emphasized that the findings are still experimental and preliminary, but they could offer a new option in treatment-resistant ovarian cancer.

Although cranberries are not considered to be a drug, they have antioxidants that boost the immune system, prevent urinary tract infections, and help fight cardiovascular disease. Cranberry juice itself is not a cure for cancer; but drinking a glass of the juice might boost a patient’s sensitivity to chemotherapy.

It remains to be seen whether the cranberry-chemotherapy effect can be repeated outside the laboratory. Cranberry compounds might have a role as adjunctive treatment alongside existing drugs. Future studies should specify the levels of the compound needed. Patients should not start drinking significant quantities of cranberry juice without their doctors’ permission.

It’s perhaps interesting to note that I was on cisplatin and I drank a lot of cranberry juice before, during and after my treatments. I mostly drank it because it helped breakdown the thick mucous in my throat. Never really considered that it might be helping the drugs their job.

Misadventures with PET Scans

January 23, 2009 | Filed Under PET CT Scan, cancer | 1 Comment

Well . . . today, I went for my latest PET/CT scan.  For those who’ve never had one, it’s typically a 2 1/2 – 3 hours imaging test that scans you from skull to mid-thigh.  PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography which is an imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image of the body with the aid of a positron-emitting radionuclide tracer introduced into the bloodstream via injection. The tracer is incorporated into an active molecule — usually a sugar, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG).

Anyway, today, I had my scan at the cancer center at South Jersey Regional.  They haven’t finished construction on the new unit, so they’ve got a mobile unit set-up in the parking lot.  They’ve hire a lot of new techs and other personel since I was there last and they are still kind of disorganized.  What that meant for me was a lot of new introductions and answering a lot of the same questions being asked by different people.  First, I was escorted into a room to have my blood sugar tested.  After that, I had to get into a wheelchair to be wheeled out to the trailer in the parking lot where the scan would be done.  This meant going through the construction area and out into the winter cold (not my idea of fun).  Once in the trailer, I was sent into this tiny closet of a room where a tech injected me with the tracer.  Then, of course, I had to sit in this little room for over an hour while the tracer worked its black magic.   So I’m waiting and freezing despite six blankets and a tiny space heater.  After awhile, I have to use the bathroom, but I’m shut up in this room and there’s no bathroom in the trailer.  Right around the time when they are supposed to fetch me, something goes wrong with either the machine or the computers  so I have to wait a while longer while the tech guys arrive and correct whatever is the matter.  Finally, the problem is fixed and one of the techs get me.  I’m am placed in the camera room and the tech disappears.  A few minutes later, another tech puts me back in the wheelchair and takes me to the bathroom — which means going back outside, across the parking lot, in the freezing cold, thru the construction site, down the hallway and to the nearest restroom.  That done, I’m back in the wheelchair for a third time and down the hallway, thru the construction site, out the doors, into the freezing cold, across the parking lot and back into the camera room.  The tech gets me situated and the do a CAT Scan and then I’m taken off the unit and made to wait a bit longer.  At last, I’m placed back on the unit and the do the PET Scan.  I’m not sure how long I’m there, but I’m guessing It’s another hour before they tell me I’m done.   All told, I’m there over four hours which is longer than it’s taken in the past. Now I have to wait for the results.

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