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Approved Lymphoma Drug Shows Promise in Early Tests Against Bone Cancer
November 5, 2009A drug already approved for the treatment of lymphoma may also slow the growth of the most deadly bone cancer in children and teens, according to an early-stage study published online today in the International Journal of Cancer. The study drug, Bortezomib, was found to be effective against bone cancer in human cancer cell studies and in mice. While key experiments were in animals, the cancer studied closely resembled the human form and the drug has already been proven to be safe in human patients. In the current study, researchers sought to use Bortezomib (Velcade(R)) against osteosarcoma, an aggressive cancer that starts in bone, spreads quickly and responds poorly to current chemotherapies. The drug, a proteasome inhibitor developed by Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of a rare, aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006 and for multiple myeloma in 2008. Full release.