Update on Promising Mesothelioma Treatment to Be Presented
Polaris Group, who in July 2010 announced the start of their global phase 3 clinical trial to test the efficacy of ADI-PEG 20 in the treatment of mesothelioma and other cancers, will present their clinical development plans for the drug later this month at a symposium in Taiwan.
The drug, pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20), has been found to inhibit cancer cell growth in certain cancers. According to Polaris, the drug works by systemically depleting the external supply of arginine which causes the arginine-dependent cancer cells to die while leaving the normal cells unharmed.
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Although there is currently no cure for mesothelioma, large clinical trials such as this one, offer the nearly 3,000 Americans diagnosed with the cancer yearly an opportunity to receive new, potentially more effective therapies.
The May 24th presentation will include information regarding enrollment into the global trial which includes sites in the United States, Taiwan, China and parts of Europe. In addition, Polaris will discuss the progress of the ongoing Phase 2 ADI-PEG 20 trials for small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Background about the Phase 2 clinical trial will be presented by the lead investigator of the mesothelioma study, Peter Szlosarek, M.D., Ph.D., of the Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
Polaris Group is a privately held multinational biopharmaceutical drug company specializing in the research and development of protein drugs to treat cancer and other debilitating diseases in humans.
