Gene Therapy Trial for Mesothelioma Opens Internationally

A long-awaited phase III clinical trial of a novel gene therapy could change malignant pleural mesothelioma treatment in the future. The trial, which will include almost 50 locations around the world, opens this month for mesothelioma patients whose standard treatment has stopped working. The gene therapy drug, called TR002, is also a form of immunotherapy. It will be used in combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy in a second-line setting. “We can’t predict what the outcome will be, but we’re very excited about the potential of this treatment, and the fact there may be another drug in the armamentarium for these patients,” principal investigator Dr. Daniel Sterman, New York University Langone Medical Center, told the Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. TR002 Study Culminates Decades of Research The randomized trial is the culmination of more than 20 years of research that began at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine under Dr. Steven M. Albelda. It could be the final step before FDA approval. TR002 is a genetically-engineered adenovirus that triggers the anti-tumor effects of interferon, a naturally-occurring protein that kills cancer cells. In the trial, TR002 will be given just once by catheter directly into the pleural cavity. It works like a tumor vaccine inside the lining around the patient’s lung. Chemotherapy with gemcitabine will follow 14 days later and continue until disease progression occurs. “We deliver a virus which has ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news