New mesothelioma drug turns cancer’s own defenses against it
An experimental drug for mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer, showed promising results in a phase one clinical trial, controlling disease progression in 67% of participants. The drug works by turning the cancer cells' own protective antioxidant system against them, offering a new treatment strategy.
Why it matters
Mesothelioma has limited treatment options and a very poor prognosis, making this new drug a significant development that could address a critical unmet medical need for patients worldwide.
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that is most often linked to asbestos exposure. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become trapped in the lungs, where they trigger chronic inflammation that may eventually lead to cancer decades later.
About 30,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. Treatment options remain limited. Immunotherapy and chemotherapy can help some patients, but the disease is still extremely difficult to control. Patients, many of whom are men who previously worked in industries such as shipbuilding, oil refining, and asbestos manufacturing, have a median survival of about 12 months. The five year survival rate is approximately 10 percent.
"It's a disease of a significant unmet medical need," says Brian Cunniff, a professor at the University of Vermont.
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