Drug trial hope for cancer patients
Patients previously denied access to a drug used in the treatment of kidney cancer will be offered it as part of a clinical trial taking place in Manchester.
Patients previously denied access to a drug used in the treatment of kidney cancer will be offered it as part of a clinical trial taking place in Manchester.
According to the BBC, the drug Sutent can in some cases prolong the lives of patients with kidney cancer. Its effectiveness will be measured against another drug known as TroVax from Oxford BioMedica. The aim of the study is to see if TroVax adds further benefit and help patients survive longer.
Although Sutent and TroVax are not cures for kidney cancer, they can slow tumour growth and help patients to live longer.
Professor Bob Hawkins from Christie hospital told the BBC that the hospital would like to see Sutent made available for every patient.
Biopharmaceutical company Oxford BioMedica, which specialises in the development and commercialisation of novel therapeutic vaccines and gene-based therapies, is funding the supply of the drug at Christie Hospital in Manchester.
Sutent was licensed for treatment of advanced kidney cancer in the UK by regulators a year ago, and is used as a standard therapy in many countries including the USA.
It has not been approved by UK drugs watchdog body NICE, but a number of primary care trusts are funding it at a cost of about £3,000 a month.