Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Drug Alimta Continues to Benefit Mesothelioma Patients
Recent clinical trials in trimodality therapy continue to prove the efficacy of Alimta (pemetrexed) when combined with cisplatin in mesothelioma patients.
Dating back to 2004, Eli Lilly and Company has received four approvals from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its drug Alimta. The company’s first approval was received for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, but the drug also needed to be combined with cisplatin in order to be considered an effective treatment method.
Eli Lilly received its second approval from the FDA again in 2004 for a second-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after chemotherapy. Representing 85 to 90 percent of all lung cancers, NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer.
Alimta was approved by the FDA for a third time in 2008 for a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC for patients with nonsquamous histology.
The fourth approval was announced earlier this year, which allowed Alimta to be used as a maintenance therapy for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Maintenance therapy for NSCLC is a new type of treatment that is given after chemotherapy, but before new tumor growth.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly is the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world. The company’s products are currently marketed in 140 countries.
While treating patients with malignant mesothelioma can be very difficult, Eli Lilly has made great strides in mesothelioma research and has helped prolong the lives of many mesothelioma patients. The combination of Alimta and cisplatin has also significantly improved the overall quality of life of patients.
Alimta is the first medication that is specifically approved for the treatment of mesothelioma and is considered by many to be the most effective chemotherapy option for pleural mesothelioma patients that are not candidates for surgery.
Additional information about mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
