Drugs in the pipeline: new therapies that could change treatment ...( SAN DIEGO New drug compounds and ol...),Health

SAN DIEGO New drug compounds, and old ones put to new use, offer doctors and patients new hope for treating and preventing cancer. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, show promise and progress against brain, colorectal, rectal and ovarian cancers and lymphoma.

A Multidisciplinary Phase II Study of AZD2171 (cediranib), an Oral Pan-VEGF Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma: Abstract LB-247

The investigational drug AZD2171 (cediranib) may help shrink tumors and prolong survival of patients with a relatively common, aggressive type of brain cancer, according to results from a clinical trial conducted by Boston researchers.

In a phase II study of 31 patients with recurrent glioblastoma, researchers observed that daily treatment with cediranib decreased tumor volume by more than half in 56 percent of patients.

Nearly 26 percent of patients were alive and their cancer had not progressed six months into treatment. On average, patients experienced a progression-free survival of 117 days and overall survival of 221 days. In addition, cediranib was found to alleviate brain swelling a major cause of morbidity among these patients.

Cediranib is a selective signaling inhibitor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promotes formation of new blood vessels that tumors need for nourishment and growth. The drug targets all three receptors for VEGF, one of which is expressed on the endothelial cells in glioblastoma.

These are promising, early results but are from a single study of 31 patients, so ongoing larger studies will be critical to determine if the findings are corroborated, said lead author Tracy Batchelor, M.D., M.P.H., executive director of the Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. One important
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