Toremifene Tames Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Therapy
A study released by drug manufacturer GTx, Inc (NASDAQ: GTXI) indicates a new version of an old drug called toremifene helps reduce some of the side effects experienced by prostate cancer patients being treated with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT).
ADT, also known as androgen suppression therapy or AST, is a hormone therapy designed to block the effects of testosterone. While ADT has been shown to improve the survival rate of prostate cancer patients, men receiving the treatment commonly have troublesome side effects including swelling of the breasts, hot flashes, osteoporosis and high cholesterol.
GTx’s research revealed that men treated with hormone therapy and toremifene experienced less breast swelling, fewer bone fractures, and a better cholesterol profile than patients receiving hormone therapy and a placebo. However, toremifene also increased the men’s risk of developing potentially serious blood clots in the veins – conditions known as venous thromboembolic events.
Matthew Smith, MD, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School who’s served as a consultant for GTx, was principal investigator on the study.
A 60 milligram (mg) toremifene pill, patented and marketed under the brand name Fareston, is already approved for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. GTx’s prostate cancer study was conducted using an investigational dosage of 80 mg which the company hopes to market separately under the brand name Acapodene if the 80 mg pill gains approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Memphis-based GTx plans to apply for FDA approval later this year.
If you’d like to learn more about prostate cancer treatment options already approved for patients in the United States, you can visit the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate Cancer Treatment Page.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Related Links: ClinicalTrials.gov; CNN Money.com; msnbc.com
Related Podcast – Prostate Cancer: The Patient Experience from Palo Alto Medical Foundation Podcasts
Tags: bone loss; urology; pharmaceuticals; tumor; men’s health; male cancers, genitourinary; SERM; DVT; Tennessee
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