Tarceva - new news!

itrustgod
itrustgod Member Posts: 41
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Hello everyone!

I haven't posted for a while, I hope everyone is doing well...

I just received this little bit of information about Tarceva and how a new drug is being developed to help prevent resistance to it. I know many of you have/had/might have experience with Tarceva, so I thought I would share it!

Keep you head up and your hearts burning with hope and love, we can all do this together =D

God bless!!


Finding may overcome drug resistance in lung cancer
Source: (cancerfacts.com)
Tuesday, May 01, 2007

CLEVELAND – May 1, 2007 – Researchers have developed a way to predict molecular changes in lung tumors that make the tumors resistant to a new class of drugs, a finding that will help in the development of the second generation of so-called targeted therapies, researchers say.


Led by Dr. Balazs Halmos, MD, hematologist/oncologist with the Ireland Cancer Center, of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, the research team extended a previous study, which found that lung cancer cells can become resistant to targeted therapies, such as erlotinib (Tarceva®), a medication in widespread use for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that works by disrupting the cell division mechanism controlled by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

"We tried to outsmart tumors by anticipating their next moves," Halmos said in a prepared statement. "This research revealed a number of new changes that EGFR can undergo that leads to resistance and also found ways to conquer this next generation of mutants."

Tarceva (erlotinib) is new generation oral anti-cancer drug that targets the human epidermal growth factor receptor. Also known as EGFR, this receptor plays a key role in the cell's signal system that triggers cell division. It has been shown to be involved in the formation and growth of numerous cancers.

Tarceva blocks tumor cell growth by blocking this signaling system.Tarceva is among a new generation of cancer therapies that have initially yielded good results with approximately 10 percent of patients experiencing complete remission of their disease.

However, in spite of the therapy's initial success, patients inevitably relapse. Halmos' team confirmed the existence of a mutation that rendered the tumor cells resistant to Tarceva. In a laboratory experiment, cancer cells became resistant by undergoing a miniscule molecular change in the EGFR protein that the medication targets. Further analysis showed that the newly identified mutation was altering the protein's drug-binding pocket and thereby changing the "keyhole" so that the "key" - Tarceva - no longer fit.

The researchers have since found that new second-generation Tarceva-like medications can overcome this change and such drugs are now in development, including in clinical trials at the Ireland Cancer Center.

This latest study was recognized for an award at the annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting last week. Halmos and his team were able to predict molecular changes the tumors might take next to become resistant to this new class of agents, and developed compounds to overcome the resistance with innovative combinations of medications.

"Using these combinations early on can prevent resistance," explains Halmos. "Through this research, we are redefining our tools and anticipating ways to fight lung cancer."

Tarceva is currently being evaluated in an extensive clinical development program by a global alliance among OSI Pharmaceuticals, Genentech and Roche.

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here's the link: http://www.nexcura.com/Newsletter/eNews.asp?CT=23&Month=MAY&Year=2007&INST=1&EG=4149D8046FF5468A90A5240BEAD5A979&NewsId=2166