Drug for advanced prostate cancer

A new drug currently under investigation has been shown to be effective in slowing the progression of advanced prostate cancer. The prostate cancer treatment, called MDV3100 , is designed for men who have advanced prostate cancer and are resistant to drug therapy that targets androgen receptors. The study has already been reported in the online edition of Science and the results obtained in the first tests on people of the drug are published. In this first phase the drug MDV3100 was administered to 30 patients in doses of 30 and 60 mg. Most patients, 22 out of 30, demonstrated a steep drop in prostate specific antigen (PSA) level for at least 12 weeks, and 13 of these patients saw their level cut in half. The prostate specific antigen (PSA), in men who have prostate cancer, is used as a reference parameter to verify the functionality or otherwise of the pharmacological treatment to which they are subjected. Charles Sawyers, a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, said: "The drug is well tolerated by patients and appears to have good results with few side effects (mostly fatigue)." After these initial results, the researchers are testing the drug's efficacy at higher doses on 110 other patients. The results will be seen in about a year. [more info ]