Lung cancer drug 'promising'

A New Zealand lung cancer drug that disrupts blood vessels within the tumour and inhibits blood flows to it looks promising, say researchers expected to report their findings at a cancer meeting in California today.

When added to traditional chemotherapy, the drug - discovered at Auckland University and named vadimezan - extended survival time, said Associate Professor Mark McKeage, a specialist in clinical pharmacology at the university.

He is presenting the findings of the most recent clinical trials of the drug to the American Association for Cancer Research-International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer meeting in Coronado, California, a medical news website, WebMD, reported.

"Overall survival was improved numerically from a median of 8.8 to 14 months," he said.

This meant the point at which half the patients lived longer, and half died earlier was pushed out by over five months. The safety profile of the drug was favourable.

Vadimezan was discovered by Auckland University professors Bruce Baguley and Bill Denny.

Tests on humans in Auckland in 2000 showed it could stop tumour growth by killing blood vessels supplying the tumours.

Auckland researchers have been involved in the trials, using it in combination with other drugs, in the run-up to phase III clinical tests for its use as a second-line treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer.

It was licensed to Novartis Pharmaceuticals for cancer patients who have received one previous round of unsuccessful treatment.

Professor McKeage predicted the new drug may be on the market by 2012.

- NZPA