ALIMTA® Inhibits Certain Enzymes, Damaging Mesothelioma Cancer Cells

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Clinical Trial Looks at Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment with Pemetrexed (ALIMTA®) Plus Carboplatin (Paraplatin®)

In 2004, the FDA approved the combination of the platinum compound, cisplatin, plus ALIMTA® to treat pleural mesothelioma.

MILAN, ITALY — March 31, 2006 — The combination of the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed (ALIMTA®) plus carboplatin (Paraplatin®) could prove useful in treating pleural mesothelioma patients, according to a clinical trial conducted at eight Italian hospitals and clinics (J Clin Oncol, 2006 Mar 20; 24(9): 1443–8). ALIMTA® attacks cancer cells by inhibiting the synthesis of thymidine and purine, enzymes that are necessary for cell growth. Paraplatin® is a compound containing platinum, a metal that poisons cancer cells.

One hundred and two pleural mesothelioma patients (76 males and 26 females) took part in the study over a period of just over three years. None of the patients had received chemotherapy prior to the study. They were not eligible for treatment through surgery because their disease was too advanced.

The mesothelioma treatment consisted of six cycles of ALIMTA®/Paraplatin® plus the vitamins folic acid and B12. The results were:

  • » Almost 19% of the mesothelioma patients had an anticancer response.
  • » Sixty–seven pleural mesothelioma patients (65.7%) achieved some disease control, and their ability to do everyday tasks (“performance status”) either improved or remained stable.
  • » The median time until the mesothelioma progressed was 6.5 months.
  • » The median survival time was 12.7 months.

Side effects included nausea, vomiting, and tiredness. Two patients developed neutropenia (low white blood cell count). A minority of patients suffered from anemia (low red blood cell count). Overall, however, the researchers considered the total side effects to be mild. They concluded that the ALIMTA®/Paraplatin® combination was “active and well tolerated.”

Using ALIMTA® and Platinum Compounds to Treat Pleural Mesothelioma

Another platinum–containing compound, cisplatin, is used with ALIMTA® to treat pleural mesothelioma. ALIMTA® plus cisplatin can prolong the patient’s survival and improve his or her quality of life. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the drug combination in 2004 to treat pleural mesothelioma when surgery is not an option.

Pleural mesothelioma patients treated with ALIMTA® and Paraplatin® did as well as patients taking the standard, approved chemotherapy combination of ALIMTA® plus cisplatin, according to the study authors. They noted that overall survival, the disease control rate, and the time until the disease progressed were similar for pleural mesothelioma patients taking ALIMTA® with Paraplatin® as compared to those taking ALIMTA® with cisplatin.

The authors also pointed out that the side effects of Paraplatin® are milder than those of cisplatin. Specifically, patients treated with the Paraplatin® combination have less nausea and vomiting than would those treated with the cisplatin combination. They suggested that the ALIMTA®/Paraplatin® combination could be an alternative to ALIMTA®/cisplatin, especially for elderly patients or for those weakened by very advanced disease.

Your Mesothelioma Case

For further details about mesothelioma treatment, see Pleural Mesothelioma: Choosing a Treatment that Is Right for You. Also see Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy and New Drug Research.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please feel free to contact us at Brayton Purcell to learn about your legal choices. We have been handling cases involving pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure for over 20 years and can provide support, information, and excellent advocacy.

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