Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Test Targeted Gene Therapy

For some patients, the future of mesothelioma cancer treatment may hinge on a pair of phase I clinical trials that opened earlier this year to study promising new drugs targeting specific genetic mutations. Precision medicine may finally be taking hold with malignant mesothelioma, clearing the path for significant, long-overdue advancements. The one-size-fits-all approach is fading. “There is some realistic hope now for patients,” Dr. Anthony Tolcher, co-founder of NEXT Oncology in San Antonio, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “I am very optimistic. New avenues for treatment are opening up.” Pleural mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos, is a rare cancer with no cure and a median survival of less than a year. It is typically treated with standard chemotherapy. Although a multimodal regimen is optimal, less than a third of patients qualify for aggressive surgery and only a small percentage are helped significantly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy combination of Opdivo and Yervoy. There is plenty of room for mesothelioma treatment improvements. Studies Focus on Genetic Mutations “The mysteries behind mesothelioma are slowly revealing themselves and providing us with avenues for treatment,” Tolcher said. “There are a number of things coming along that look very promising.” These latest clinical trials are part of that promise. Tango Therapeutics is sponsoring a first-in-human ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Clinical Trials/Research/Emerging Treatments Source Type: news