New Drug to Treat Mesothelioma Hailed as a Major Breakthrough

ADI-PEG20 or pegargiminase is being hailed as the first drug of its kind to be incorporated successfully with chemotherapy in 20 years. Researchers say this new drug could bring hope to thousands of mesothelioma survivors and their families.  The drug blocks the cancer’s food supply, ensuring the disease can’t spread. It prevents cancer cells from absorbing the amino acid arginine from the bloodstream. Arginine helps the body build protein.  Mesothelioma cells are deficient in a protein called ASS1, which allows cells to create their own arginine. If the cancer cells can’t get arginine from blood, their ability to grow and expand is hindered.  “It’s truly wonderful to see the research into the arginine starvation of cancer cells come to fruition,” said lead researcher Dr. Peter Szlosarek, a professor at Queen Mary’s Barts Cancer Institute in London. “This discovery is something I have been driving from its earliest stages in the lab”. Breakthrough Clinical Trial This discovery follows a Queen Mary University of London-led trial in 5 countries. Patients from Australia, Italy, Taiwan, U.K. and the U.S. took part in the trial, which took place between 2017 and 2021. Each patient received chemotherapy every 3 weeks for up to 6 cycles.  The final analysis included 249 pleural mesothelioma patients. During the trial, 50% of patients were also given injections of ADI-PEG20, while the other 50% received a placebo for 2 years...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Clinical Trials/Research/Emerging Treatments Mesothelioma Source Type: news