New promising breast cancer drug on the way
Cancer has been a big concern in the country. According to 2020 data by the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, breast cancer was in the lead with 6, 799 cases (16.1 per cent).
What you need to know:
- The drug is called datopotamab deruxtecan and is developed by AstraZeneca and a Japanese company called Daiichi Sankyo.
- AstraZeneca announced that so far the drug has not presented any risks that may put it off the shelf for safety issues.
A new experimental drug manufactured by AstraZeneca is shown to reduce the intensity of breast cancer in its last stage –the company has announced.
Releasing the results of a Phase III clinical trial, the pharmaceutical company said the outcome of the study has so far shown positive high-levels on progression-free survival of cancer compared to other forms of therapy like chemotherapy.
The drug is called datopotamab deruxtecan and is developed by AstraZeneca and a Japanese company called Daiichi Sankyo. AstraZeneca announced that so far the drug has not presented any risks that may put it off the shelf for safety issues.
“The safety profile of datopotamab deruxtecan was consistent with previous clinical trials in breast cancer with no new safety signals identified. All grade interstitial lung disease rates were low,” they said. The drug falls under a class of drugs called antibody drug conjugates (ADC).
A study in the scientific journal Nature explains that an ADC drug combines both the advantages of highly specific targeting ability and highly potent killing effect to achieve accurate and efficient elimination of cancer cells.
Dr Ken Takeshita, Global Head, Oncology Research and Development of Daiichi Sankyo, said that the results positively demonstrate the potential for the drug to become an important treatment option for breast cancer patients.
“We look forward to realising the full potential of this TROP2-directed antibody drug conjugate across breast cancer subtypes through our ongoing Phase III programme, including two trials in patients with triple-negative breast cancer,” said Dr Takeshita.
Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology Research and Development at AstraZeneca that the news is great for breast cancer patients whose tumours have become insensitive to endocrine therapy and who currently face poor outcomes. “We are encouraged by these positive results,” she said.
