Recent Research Reveals ...

A new prostate cancer drug may hold promise.

Highlights Experimental drug gives renewed hope to men with late-stage prostate cancer.

Although preliminary, the results from a recent clinical trial show that an experimental drug called abiraterone may help men with late-stage prostate cancer who are no longer responding to hormone and other therapies.

The clinical trial was conducted by researchers from the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom. The trial included only 21 men, but on their prescribed once-a-day regimen of abireterone, 70-80% of the men showed lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and tumor shrinkage. What’s more, disease progression was delayed by a median of 400 days and side effects were minimal.

The drug works by blocking the enzyme CYP17, which plays a role in hormone production and tumor growth. While the results are impressive for an early clinical trial, experts urge caution until subsequent studies are completed.

Researchers say they will soon be reporting results of a phase II study and are planning phase III studies. They hope the drug will be on the market in 2011.

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