New Breast Cancer & HIV Drugs Being Developed in Arizona
There have been many thoughts put in to a new drug to help battle cancer. Earlier this year at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center in Scottsdale, AZ, a new drug was designed called TKM-PLK1. This new drug is creating a new wave of hope for patients with advanced solid tumor cancers, and is just one of many clinical trials being conducted in Arizona!
The new drug being tested in clinical trials at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center is designed to target a protein called polo-like kinase 1 (or PLK1), which promotes tumor cell reproduction. By targeting this particular protein it will prevent the tumor from fully completing cell division. In turn, this will result in the death of the cancer cell.
The Scottsdale, AZ based Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center will indeed be among the first medical centers to be testing this drug in human patients. The drug will be tested first on patients with advanced solid tumor cancers that are not being served well by their current therapies. The drug may show effectiveness in patients who are being treated for colorectal, break, non-small cell lung, and ovarian cancers. The laboratory research shows that these types of cancer affect more than 500,000 new patients each year in the United States alone.
Doctors have been excited for this drug as it uses a new technology called siRNA. According to Dr. Ramesh Ramanathan this is, “an engineered molecule similar to what’s found in the cancer cell’s machinery.” The lab results so far have been very promising and they hope to only advance these new drug technologies in the future. Ramanathan also goes on to say that, “If it slows down the cancer cell and if it starves it of essential nutrients, the cancer cell will die.”
The Phase 1 clinical trials begin by evaluating the safety of TKM-PLK1. In addition it will test the tolerability and how the body will metabolize this new investigative drug. As the clinical trials progress, they will get in to phase 2 which will involve around 100 patients. Phase 3 will advance to include thousands. It’s expected that these clinical trials to be completed in about five to six years.
There are also many other studies taking place at Clinical Trial Centers in Arizona.
Emergency Use Program for THE HIV+ Patients who need Tipranavir Treatment
This clinical trial is open to both male and female patients who have the HIV virus ages 2 and older. This trial evaluates the safety and tolerance of tipranavir cobined with low dose of ritonavir in patients with progressive, HIV-1 disease who have failed or are intolerant to currently approved treatments for HIV infection. Many times these patients are unable to participate in another tipranavir controlled clinical trial and have an urgent need for anti-HIV treatment.
Radiation Therapy in Treating Women Who Have Undergone Surgery For Ductal Carcinoma In Situ or Stage I or Stage II Breast Cancer
The Arizona Breast Cancer Specialists are in phase 3 of the Radiation Therapy in Treating Women who have undergone surgery for ductal carcinoma in Situ or Stage I or Stage II Breast Cancer. This trial is open to women ages 18 and older and is currently recruiting. The purpose of this trial is to see how well radiation works compared to partial breast radiation therapy in treating women who have undergone surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ or stage I or Stage II breast cancer.