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Mesothelioma
Treatment
Abstracts
& Articles
Eli
Lilly boosted by mesothelioma treatment
drug Alimta.
Researchers
yesterday hailed the first effective
treatment for mesothelioma, the incurable
lung cancer caused by inhaling
asbestos.
Alimta,
a new type of cancer treatment being
developed by Eli Lilly, is the first
treatment to significantly increase the
length of survival and ameliorate the
symptoms of the disease. The trial, one of
the largest against the fatal disease, was
presented at the annual meeting of the
American Society of Clinical
Oncologists.
Hilary
Calvert, a cancer specialist from the
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne who took
part in the trial, hailed the results as
the first significant breakthrough against
mesothelioma.
But
he said it was unlikely the drug would
cure the disease, which usually suffocates
its victims by destroying the lining of
their lungs. "It is very unlikely that it
will cure them. What it will do is prolong
their life and reduce the chest pain and
shortness of breath," Prof Calvert
said.
The
disease is rare, causing about 10,000
deaths a year worldwide, compared with
125,000 lung cancer deaths in the US
alone. But the figure is rising.
The
widespread use of asbestos was only banned
in Europe and the US in the 1980s, but
mesothelioma usually lies dormant for
20-40 years. Once diagnosed, few patients
live longer than a year. Some patients in
earlier trials of Alimta were still alive
after three years, Prof Calvert
said.
Eli
Lilly plans to seek US and European
approval based on the trial data this
year. Approval could be rapid because of
the lack of alternative treatments but the
launch is likely to be delayed until 2003
due to complications in formulating the
treatment. Alimta works by attacking folic
acid - a vitamin that is essential for
dividing cancer cells.
Analysts
forecast sales of more than $500m a year
if Lilly, which controls a 12 per cent
share of the $1.6bn lung cancer market,
can win approval for other conditions. It
has already shown success against
pancreatic cancer.
Before
asbestos was linked with mesothelioma, it
was widely used in construction and
shipbuilding for insulation and as a fire
retardant. The World Trade Center attacks
have raised fears over the health of the
survivors. The collapse of the twin towers
released a cloud of potentially deadly
asbestos fibres. Experts believe even a
brief exposure to the dust can be
fatal.
Concerns
over asbestos liabilities challenge some
of corporate America's biggest names and
could cost UK insurers billions of pounds
following recent court rulings on both
sides of the Atlantic.
Lilly
shares were up 0.25 per cent at $65.15 in
New York yesterday.
David
Firn Financial Times 2002 May 21
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