Mesothelioma Patients Among Those Involved in Advanced Cancer Clinical Trial
A pharmaceutical company completed patient enrollment in a Phase I clinical trial in the United States, testing the effectiveness of bavituximab, an antibody, as a therapy option for patients with advanced cancers that do not respond to treatment, known as refractory cancers.
The study, conducted by Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., aims to determine the safety and tolerability of the antibody in patients with advanced cancer and characterize the pharmacokinetic profile (how the body handles and responds to a drug) of bavituximab. The clinical trial will also examine the maximum tolerable dosage amount of bavituximab and the effective dosage level.
According to Joseph Shan, Vice President of clinical and regulatory affairs for Peregrine, the completion of patient enrollment in the study is a significant milestone for the bavituximab cancer program.
Patients enrolled in the clinical trial include those diagnosed with breast, colorectal, pancreatic, liver, prostate, and head and neck cancers, melanoma and mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure.
Clinical trials are conducted to test up-and-coming treatment options and medications before they are deemed safe and effective for public use. Studies continue to give hope to those battling serious illnesses such as malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has started to design additional bavituximab cancer clinical trials based on results from this study and the company’s Phase II combination therapy clinical trials in breast and lung cancer patients.
“We believe data from this study, along with our ongoing Phase II lung and breast cancer trials, set the stage for advancing the bavituximab oncology program into later-stage clinical studies,” said Shan.
“The safety data collected from the diverse cancer types in this study are encouraging as we plan for expansion of the bavituximab cancer program in the coming year,” Shan added. “We look forward to sharing more data from the ongoing cancer trials as patient treatment and follow-up continue in this study and in our three ongoing Phase II bavituximab cancer trials.”
Additional information about clinical trials and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
