Scientists have discovered a “truly amazing” new drug for a hard-to-treat and aggressive form of cancer.
The researchers, led by a team from Queen Mary University of London, found that their new treatment “quadrupled” the three-year survival rate and increased it by an average of 1.6 months.
Scientists say the new mesothelioma drug is the first in 20 years to work by cutting off the tumor’s supply of nutrients.
Chest X-ray of a male patient showing signs of mesothelioma
(Science Photo Library)
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that forms in the lining of certain organs – mainly the lining of the lungs.
It is often associated with asbestos exposure.
Figures from Cancer Research UK indicate that there are around 2,700 new cases of mesothelioma in the UK each year.
And about 2,400 people die each year – only two percent of people are expected to survive 10 years beyond diagnosis.
The new study, led by Professor Peter Szlosarek at Queen Mary, saw all patients receive chemotherapy every three weeks for up to six cycles.
Half were injected with a new drug, ADI-PEG20 (pegargiminase), and the other half were given a placebo – also known as a dummy drug – for two years.
Mesothelioma symptoms
According to the NHS
Symptoms of mesothelioma on the lining of the lungs include:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue (extreme fatigue)
- High heat and sweat, especially at night
- Constant cough
- Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
- Clubbed (swollen) fingertips
Symptoms of abdominal mesothelioma include:
- Abdominal pain or bloating
- feeling or being sick
- Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
- Diarrhea or constipation
Some 249 patients with pleural mesothelioma – when the disease affects the lining of the lungs – were included in the final analysis. They were on average 70 years old.
The Atomic-Meso trial, sponsored by Polaris Pharmaceuticals, was conducted at 43 centers in five countries between 2017 and 2021.
Patients who participated in the study were followed up for at least one year.
A study published in the journal JEMA Oncology found that those who received pegargiminase and chemotherapy survived an average of 9.3 months, compared with 7.7 months for those who received placebo and chemotherapy.
The researchers found that the median “progression-free survival” with pegargiminase-chemotherapy was 6.2 months compared to 5.6 months for patients with placebo and chemotherapy.
“In this pivotal, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of 249 patients with pleural mesothelioma, pegargiminase-chemotherapy increased median overall survival by 1.6 months and quadrupled survival at 36 months compared with placebo-chemotherapy,” the authors wrote. .
“Pegargiminase-based chemotherapy is well tolerated with no new safety symptoms.”
3D image of cancer cells
(Getty)
Researchers say this is the first successful result of chemotherapy targeting cancer metabolism for this disease in 20 years.
It comes after two decades of work by Professor Szlosarek that mesothelioma cells lack a protein called ASS1, which allows them to produce the amino acid arginine.
Using this knowledge, the new drug was developed. ADI-PEG20 works by diluting the level of arginine in the blood – meaning that tumor cells that cannot produce arginine due to a deficient enzyme have their growth inhibited.
Professor Szlosarek said: “It’s really amazing that the research on starving cancer cells of arginine has worked.
“This discovery is something that I have been driving since the early stages in the laboratory, with a new treatment, ADI-PEG20, which is now improving the lives of patients affected by mesothelioma.”
Commenting on the study, Cancer Research UK’s Science Engagement Manager, Dr Taiyaba Jiwani, who funded the early stages of the study, said: “This study demonstrates the power of discovery research, which will allow us to delve deeper into the biology of mesothelioma. Exposures we can now target with ADI-PEG20.
Liz Darlison, chief executive of the charity Mesothelioma UK, added: “The UK mesothelioma community, including doctors, nurses, patients and families living with mesothelioma, are extremely proud of ATOMiC. It offers another very important treatment option and most importantly, it gives hope to people living with mesothelioma.
“We look forward to seeing this treatment become a standard option for all patients in the future. It’s good for everyone involved and I thank everyone involved.”