US APPROVAL FOR DRUG THAT TURNS HERPES VIRUS AGAINST CANCER
The FDA is allowing the injectable drug Imlygic, made by Amgen Inc, to be used at first only on melanomas
that cannot be removed surgically. The company said a single course
would cost about $65,000 depending on the length of the treatment.The drug is injected directly into tumour tissue, where it uses
herpes as a Trojan horse to slip past and rupture cancer cells. The drug
combines a gene snippet meant to stimulate the immune system with a
modified version of the herpes simplex virus — the kind that causes
mouth cold sores.
Despite the drug’s groundbreaking approach FDA officials stressed it had not been shown to extend life. Instead company studies showed that about 16% of patients injected with the drug saw their tumours shrink, compared with 2% of patients who took more conventional cancer drugs. That effect lasted at least six months.
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Despite the drug’s groundbreaking approach FDA officials stressed it had not been shown to extend life. Instead company studies showed that about 16% of patients injected with the drug saw their tumours shrink, compared with 2% of patients who took more conventional cancer drugs. That effect lasted at least six months.
click here to see the full news
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