New Anit-cancer Drugs

Anti-cancer drugs
updated on Aug 27, 2005

AMN 107 AMN107, an investigational drug, is producing powerful
responses in patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia,
resistant to Gleevec. Novartis is the manfacturers for both AMN107 and
Gleeve.
Increasing Benefit Seen in Novel Drug That Treats Gleevec Resistance,
Newswise, April 13, 2005. Source University of Texas M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center.

AVASTIN (BEVACIZUMAB) Colorectal cancer is the third most common
cancer. Approximately 147,500 new cases were diagnosed in 2003.
AVASTIN is the first line treatment for patients with metastatic
colorectal cancer.

The interim results of a late-stage trial showed that Avastin was
successful when used with chemotherapy in untreated breast cancer
which has spread to other parts of the body. About 8-9% of women
will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.
Roche's Avastin Works in Third Type of Cancer, Reuters, April 15, 2005

Avastin has achieved sales of $469 million in the first half of 2005.
Pfizer seeks approval for cancer drug Reuters Aug 10 2005.

THALIDOMIDE Multiple myeloma affects about 50,000 American. About
14,600 new cases occur annually. Celgene's thalidomide was found to
be effective for treating patients with multiple myeloma, a form of
blood cancer in a phase III trial.Celgene Says Blood Cancer Patients
Respond to Drug, Reuters, June 7, 2004.

ERBITUX About 40,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with oral,
head and neck cancers. Radiation is a standard treatment. Tumors
were less likely to spread in patients who took ImClone Systems'
Erbitux in combination with radiation. Erbitux works by blocking a
protein called epidermal growth factor which helps tumor cells
reproduce. Erbitux Prolongs Survival in Head and Neck Cancer,
Ransdell Pierson, Reuters, June 5, 2004.

PROXINIUM Viventia initates a second Phase I clinical trial for
treatment of head and neck cancer with Proxinium. Press Release,
June 7, 2004

TAXOTERE 230,900 new cases of prostate cancer may occur this year
in the United States. It was found that men with aggressive prostate
cancer treated with Aventis' Taxotere lived longer than patients
treated with other standard chemotherapy drugs in Phase III trials.
Related News Aventis Drug Prevails in Prostate Cancer Trials, by
Pierson et al, Reuters, Jun 7, 2004.

HERCEPTIN A recent study showed that Herceptin, an antibody-based
drug, helps women fight an aggressive form of early-stage breast
cancer after surgery. The estimated sales for Herceptin in 2009 is
about 4.2 billion francs.
Roche's Breast Cancer Drug Gets More Positive Data, Reuters, April 28,
2005.

SORAFENIB
Bayer and Onyx completed their US marketing application for sorafenib.
Sorafenib blocks RAF kinase and VEGF that helps produce blood
vessels which feed tumors. The market for sorafenib can be as high as
$600 million after launching. [3]

Pfizer's SUTENT/SU11248 (sunitinib malate)
Sutent pill is developed to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumors, a type
of stomach cancer, and kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of
the body and not been controlled by standard treatments. Sutent
might have significant advantages over existing treatments. [1 For
instance, new study shows Pfizer's SUTENT/SU11248 (sunitinib malate)
extends overall survival in Novartis AG's Gleevec-resistant GIST. [2]
About 5000-10,000 Americans were diagnosed with this cancer. [3]

Sutent is one of the first in a new class of drugs that selectively
targets multiple protein receptors, called receptor tyrosine kinases.
Tyrosine kinases may be a molecular switch for cancer growth.
Inhibition of these tyrosine kinases is believed to starve tumors of
blood and nutrients needed for growth and simultaneously kill the
cancer cells that make up tumors.

The FDA has granted Sutent fast-track status for review and Pfizer
planned to seek FDA approval by August for the pill.

[1] Pfizer Submits Application for Sutent to FDA PR Wed Aug 10, 2005
[2] New data show Pfizer's SUTENT/SU11248 (sunitinib malate)
extends overall survival in Gleevec-resistant GIST Globandmail.com Aug
10, 2005 [3] Pfizer seeks approval for cancer drug Reuters Aug 10
2005.

VACCINE Merck & Co is developing a vaccine called Gardasil which can
protect women against four strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The papillomavirus are prime cause of cervical cancer and genital
warts. The new vaccine may reach the market in 2006 to compete with
GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix. Merk is partnering with Sanofi-Aventis to
seek first regulatory approvals for its vaccine in Europe. Currently, the
cervical cancer victimizes about 470,000 women a year.A vaccine for
cervical cancer found, Earthtimes.org, April 5, 2006

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As the technologies improve, more new anticancer drugs with less side-effects are available in the market.
This web-site collects and summarizes news and research findings about recently developed anti-cancer drug
products.

New Anti-cancer Drugs