New Combo Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

By Heather Kohn, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The first investigational, cancer-activated, targeted chemotherapy called TELCYTA is now being tested in a larger study after showing promising results from a Phase II trial.

Results from the study reveal a partial or complete remission rate of 52 percent in women with recurrent ovarian cancer, compared to a more typical response rate of between 12 percent and 15 percent, as seen with the drug DOXIL (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection). In this new, Phase III trial, researchers hope to establish equally promising results.

"When you have preliminary data like that it is so exciting. You're very hopeful for your Phase III results," says principal investigator Linda Duska, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Platinum is the best type of chemotherapy used to treat ovarian cancer, but some women develop resistance to it. When they develop resistance, it's very difficult to treat and to cure them. "There aren't very many drugs that will treat platinum resistant disease. It's a big problem," Dr. Duska tells Ivanhoe. "That's part of the reason why TELCYTA is so interesting. If it gives us the opportunity to reverse platinum resistance, it might give the opportunity to allow women with ovarian cancer to live for a long time." For these women, DOXIL is currently the standard of care for platinum-resistant disease.

TELCYTA is a targeted treatment that makes cancer cells more susceptible to treatment. In the current study, one group of women will receive it along with platinum and another group will receive DOXIL.

Dr. Duska says both DOXIL and TELCYTA are well-tolerated treatments. There is no hair loss associated with TELCYTA. It's a one-hour infusion, and side effects are minimal. Dr. Duska says: "From a quality of life standpoint, it's a very good drug. It's a novel twist because it uses the cancer cells' own defensive machinery to turn on the drug. It also makes the cancer cells more susceptible to treatment."

The current study includes more than 100 sites nationwide. Investigators hope to enroll 250 women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer by December. In other research, TELCYTA is being looked at in treating lung cancer. TELCYTA is not FDA-approved, but if the phase III results confirm the phase II results, the drug's manufacturer will seek FDA approval.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Interview with Linda Duska, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston