Researchers are currently recruiting mesothelioma patients for a Phase II study that is aimed to test the safety and effectiveness of IMC-A12 in patients who have previously been treated with standard chemotherapy methods.
IMC-A12 is an antibody that is designed to block the effects of a protein called Type I Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF-1R), which is thought to play a role in helping cancer cells grow and divide. IMC-A12 is a new cancer treatment that has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the clinical trial will hopefully determine if the new treatment can block malignant mesothelioma cancer cells from growing and dividing.
mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Current chemotherapy options may include a combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed, but neither of these has acted as a cure for the cancer.
Patients who participate in the study will receive IMC-A12 once every three weeks and will be evaluated with blood tests at the start of each cycle. The treatment cycle will continue as long as needed unless severe side effects or disease progression arises.
Qualified patients must be at least 18-years-old and diagnosed with either pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma. They must also have a life expectancy of more than three months.
While IMC-A12 has shown promise in patients with a variety of malignancies, it is still considered an experimental treatment option.
Additional information on mesothelioma may be found through the mesothelioma Center.