Eli Lilly drug ‘doubles’ pancreatic cancer survival rate

Updated data from a study into the treatment of pancreatic cancer has found that a drug manufactured by Eli Lilly can more than double survival rates.

Gemzar, which is most commonly used as a first-line treatment for sufferers who are otherwise not eligible for surgery, was used in a study of over 350 patients.

These patients were of the portion that have had their pancreatic cancer tumour removed; the drug was tested to find out whether it could delay the progression of the disease. Receiving Gemzar after surgery is called adjuvant treatment.

After three years, 36.5 per cent of those taking Gemzar were still alive, compared to 19.5 per cent of those not doing so. After five years the numbers were 21 per cent versus nine per cent respectively.

“The ultimate goal of adjuvant therapy is improving the cure rate and we have shown that this treatment more than doubles the overall survival five years after treatment,” said Hanno Riess, a German oncologist who was leading the study.

Gemzar is also approved for the treatment of other cancers such as metastatic breast cancer and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.