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Mesothelioma Drug Vinflunine Shows Promise
New York — December 19, 2007 — “Results suggest that
vinflunine is among the most active single agents in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
” This
is the conclusion of the authors of a study published in the October 20th issue of the Journal of Clinical
Oncology. (Journal
of Clinical Oncology 2007;25:4751–4756.)
Mesothelioma Drug Looks Effective and Safe
The study, a Phase II trial, was designed to test how effective and how safe vinflunine is when administered as a first treatment to patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The overall tumor response rate was 13.8% which is similar to cisplatin. The combination of pemetrexed (brand name ALIMTA®) and cisplatin is the current standard treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
The trial found that vinflunine was well–tolerated even at high dosages. The most common side effect was injection site reactions. Other side effects were anemia, nausea, constipation, fatigue and abnormal white blood cell counts.
Further Study of Drug as a Mesothelioma Treatment Recommended
The authors conclude that vinflunine should be further evaluated as a treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. When vinflunine was combined with cisplatin in a Phase II trial for the treatment of lung cancer, the combination had improved results over cisplatin or vinflunine alone. As a result, they recommend studies of a combination of cisplatin and vinflunine for mesothelioma patients. They also recommend further studies of vinflunine for mesothelioma patients who have exhausted a treatment of cisplatin/premexed (ALIMTA®) combination because there is no other recommended therapy.
Mesothelioma and Your Legal Case
If, due to exposure to asbestos, you have developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, another asbestos-related cancer or asbestosis, please contact us. Brayton Purcell has been helping asbestos victims for more than 24 years. We offer a free review of your case as well as information and resources.
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