Pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company recently reported that the experimental drug Alimta shows promise in treating a common form of lung cancer.
Researchers are excited about the potential availability of a new drug to treat non-small-cell lung cancer, said Dr. Nasser Hanna, an assistant professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, who presented the study findings.
Earlier studies show that the drug lengthened the lives of patients with a rare type of lung cancer called mesothelioma. This aggressive cancer of the lung lining is linked to a history of asbestos exposure.
In the new trial, Alimta proved as effective as Taxotere, the only approved drug to treat recurring cases of non-small-cell lung cancer. In addition, Alimta caused far fewer side effects among the 571 lung cancer patients studied.
"Patients with cancer who are being treated in the second-line setting must heavily consider the risk-benefit ratio of another course of chemotherapy," said Dr. Paolo Paoletti, Lilly vice president of clinical research for oncology. "It can be a difficult balancing act, but in this study, patients who received Alimta retained the chance of a benefit, but with fewer side effects, and that is important."
Lilly expects FDA approval by early 2004 to sell Alimta for mesothelioma. The company will now seek clearance for the drug to treat non-small-cell lung cancer, as well.
Altima (generic name is pemetrexed) is given intravenously. The synthetic compound targets key enzymes believed to play a role in the rapid growth of cancer cells. In the future, Altima may be tested for breast, pancreatic, colon, and gastric cancers.
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