A New Agent That Might Change the Lives of Many Cancer Patients

This is not only good news for all prostate cancer patients, but is also good news for all cancer patients. 

The investigational radiopharmaceutical radium-223 chloride (Alpharadin) has recently been shown to improve survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer and bone metastases.  This agent could potentially be used in other cancer patients to extend their lives. 

The beauty of this product is that it is highly targeted for bone metastases; so this product will be valuable for many different Stage IV cancers patients whose cancers have spread to bones. 

Radium-223 chloride works by releasing minute, highly charged, targeted doses of radiation (alpha particles) that are highly lethal to cancer cancers but have a short penetration.  This specific targeting delivers radiation to the bone metastases and minimizes the damage done elsewhere. 

New Prostate Cancer Drug Approved by FDA

Good news for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.  The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has approved Johnson & Johnson’s Zytiga (abiraterone) in combination with prednisone to treat patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior chemotherapy. 

Abiraterone blocks the formation of testosterone by inhibiting an enzyme called CYP17A1. This enzyme is involved in the formation of steroid hormones (DHEA and androstenedione), which may ultimately be metabolized into testosterone. 

In a clinical trial involving 1195 patients with late-stage prostate cancer, patients who received abiraterone once daily in combination with prednisone two times a day had a median overall survival of 14.8 months, compared to 10.9 months among patients receiving a placebo and prednisone combination. 

Novel Agent Significantly Improves Survival in Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer

Great news for patients with advanced prostate cancer.  A new investigational agent, abiraterone acetate, was shown to significantly improved survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. 

Abiraterone acetate is an investigational agent being developed by Ortho Biotech.  It acts by blocking CYP17 and potently inhibits persistent androgen synthesis from adrenal and intratumoral sources. 

In the study, investigators randomly assigned 1,195 patients with castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer and who had been previously treated with docetaxel to 1 of 2 study groups: abiraterone 1000 mg plus prednisone 5 mg twice daily (n = 797) or placebo plus prednisone (n = 398). 

Patients who received abiraterone acetate plus prednisone had a median overall survival of 14.8 months, compared with 10.9 months for patients assigned to receive corticosteroid prednisone plus placebo. 

The most commonly observed adverse effects in the abiraterone group were fluid retention (30.5% vs 22.3%) and hypokalemia (17.1% vs 8.4%).  Grade 3/4 hypokalemia (3.8% vs 0.8%) and grade 3/4 hypertension (1.3% vs 0.3%) were infrequent. 

While 3.9 months may not seem like much in the history of prostate cancer, only 4 drugs have ever shown a survival benefit.  Furthermore, it is an oral that does not have the toxicity of chemotherapy.  

It is anticipated that this new drug will change the way doctors treat advanced prostate cancer in the future. 

Source: 35th European Society for Medical Oncology Congress: Abstract LBA5. Presented October 11, 2010.

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