New cancer drug provides ‘substantial improvement’

Patients with breast and ovarian cancer have seen “substantial improvement” in their condition following treatment with a new drug, researchers claim.

The new drug, known as BMN 673, is tailored to patients with faults in their “BRCA” genes – the same inherited trait which recently prompted Angelina Jolie to undergo a double mastectomy to lower her risk of cancer.

A safety trial on 70 patients found signs of “excellent anti-tumour activity” while also establishing that the treatment was suitable for further tests.

Some 23 of 28 ovarian cancer patients and 12 of 18 breast cancer patients’ condition improved after the treatment, researchers reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago on Monday.

In 11 ovarian and seven breast cancer patients, there were noticeable lesions or cracks on the sides of their tumours, indicating that the drug was working, they added.

Mutations in the BRCA genes are rare in the general population, only affecting one in every 800 to 1000 people, but they dramatically increase the risk of certain cancers including breast and ovarian.

While healthy BRCA genes naturally suppress cancer by preventing cells from growing out of control, mutations in these genes can prevent them doing their job properly.

Cancer Research UK estimates that women carrying faulty BRCA genes have between 45 and 90 per cent chance of developing breast cancer during their lifetime.

Angelina Jolie recently revealed that she had chosen to undergo a double mastectomy after doctors advised her that she had a mutation in the BRCA1 gene which gave her an 87 per cent risk of developing breast cancer and a 50 per cent chance of ovarian cancer.

Researchers hope that a trial of the drug’s effectiveness on a larger group of patients could lead to it becoming the first treatment targeted at patients with hereditary faults in their BRCA genes.

Prof Johann de Bono, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “Patients with germ line BRCA-associated tumours have no targeted treatment options, and there is a real need for these to be developed.”

The new drug works by targeting PARP, a protein which helps repair damaged DNA in cells after they divide.

Tumours in people with BRCA mutations are particularly dependant on PARP to fix these faults, which allows them to continue to grow.

Researchers believe that drugs like BMN 673 and other “PARP inhibitors” currently being developed could cut off these tumours’ life source by preventing the protein from being produced.

Prof de Bono said: “Our promising study showed that BMN 673, a potent member of a family of potential drugs called PARP inhibitors, had excellent anti-tumour activity.”

Such drugs “offer the potential of more personalised treatments to patients, including those with BRCA mutations”, he said.

Dr Safia Danovi of Cancer Research UK added: “Cancer Research UK scientists played a crucial role in the discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2 so we’re pleased that potential treatments are emerging for patients with faults in these genes.

“These early-stage results are encouraging, but we’ve got a long way to go before we know whether these drugs can be used to treat cancer patients.”
 

Source The Telegraph