An existing drug could be used to treat aggressive forms of breast cancer - new research explained wigantoday.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wigantoday.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
An already approved cancer drug could be used to treat more aggressive forms of breast cancer, new research has found.
Researchers funded by Breast Cancer Now have identified a specific defect in some triple-negative breast cancers and a pre-existing drug that could help treat the disease.
The new research, led by Dr Rachael Natrajan at The Institute of Cancer Research, discovered a way to identify triple-negative breast tumours that could be more likely to respond to a class of drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors, including palbociclib.
Palbociclib is currently used to treat other breast cancers that have spread to a different part of the body. However, the research found there is the potential to use the drug to treat around a fifth of people living with triple-negative breast cancer.
The medication is currently used on other breast tumours that have spread through the body.
But the researchers found the potential to use it to treat around a fifth of people with triple-negative breast cancer.
Dr Natrajan said the study “suggests the exciting possibility that an already-approved breast cancer drug could be used to help women with this type of disease”.
Clinical trials will take several years but if they are successful, CDK4/6 inhibitors could be used within five years. Triple-negative breast cancer refers to tumours lacking three molecules normally used to classify it – oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein.
Existing drug offers targeted treatment for aggressive breast cancer pharmaceutical-business-review.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pharmaceutical-business-review.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.