New Drug Ofev Gaining Momentum in Fight Against Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma patients battling shortness of breath — a symptom that makes everyday activities increasingly difficult — may soon find relief with nintedanib, a new anti-cancer drug shown to relieve respiratory distress. Nintedanib recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a lung scarring condition with similarities to asbestosis. German-based drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim markets the drug under the brand name Ofev. The European Commission also granted the marketing of the drug as Vargatef for use with docetaxel to combat lung cancer. Researchers now are conducting multicenter, mesothelioma clinical trials using nintedanib in San Francisco, Cleveland, Columbus, and Pittsburgh, along with cities in several countries outside the U.S. It is a phase II study designed to measure the efficacy and safety of the drug in combination with a chemotherapy regimen of pemetrexed and cisplatin. It is a double-blind, randomized study where a percentage of patients receive only the chemotherapy regimen. The clinical trial began in 2013 and is expected to end by May 2016. Nintedanib Expands Treatment for Multiple Cancers Previously, the FDA granted Ofev orphan product and fast track designations to speed its approval process, which was not originally expected until 2015. Nintedanib is a protein inhibitor with the ability to block the multiple pathways that lead to scaring of lung tissue — a proble...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Research & Clinical Trials Source Type: news