Targeted Therapy Making Progress with Pleural Mesothelioma

Future treatment of pleural mesothelioma cancer continued its move toward a more personalized, targeted approach with the latest results from a multi-center clinical trial involving tazemetostat, a novel protein inhibitor. Tazemetostat, also known as the brand name Tazverik, showed impressive effectiveness in a second line setting for patients with the BAP1 genetic mutation. The disease control rate for patients was 54.1% at 12 weeks and 32.8% at 24 weeks, numbers that exceeded expectations. There currently is no FDA-approved second-line treatment for pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer with no cure caused primarily by an exposure to asbestos. Lancet Oncology published a study on May 16 detailing the phase II clinical trial results. “I think this is an incredible development, actually,” co-author Dr. Dean Fennell, chair of thoracic and medical oncology at University of Leicester and University Hospitals in the United Kingdom, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “It’s taking the whole field (of therapy) in a different direction.” Blocking the Enzyme EZH2 Tazemetostat works by blocking the enzyme EZH2, which inhibits the genes that normally would suppress cancer tumor growth. The clinical trial was designed to target patients with a mutated BAP1 gene, which typically leads to a higher expression of EZH2 and an accelerated growth of the cancer. It was not designed as a one-size-fits-all therapy, such as standard-of-care chemotherap...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Clinical Trials/Research/Emerging Treatments Source Type: news