GlaxoSmithKline’s new non small cell cancer drug “an important step”

A GlaxoSmithKline drug designed for use on patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been described as an “important step” because of the “innovative” design of the drug that uses technology associated more with immunotherapies.

MAGE-A3, an investigational compound, was tested in patients with NSCLC and compared with a placebo. It resulted in a 33 per cent reduction in the relative risk NSCLC recurrence. Although this cannot be considered to be statistically significant at this phase II clinical trial stage, Glaxo described the result as “very encouraging” and warranting further investigation.

The study also found that two patients were withdrawn from the study group of 182 patients because of adverse side effects that were possibly due to MAGE-A3 treatment (less than 1.1 per cent of patients).

Paul A Bunn Jr, Grohne/Stapp endowed professor of oncology, professor of medicine and director of the University of Colorado Cancer Centre, remarked: “This trial demonstrates the feasibility of developing novel cancer immunotherapies that with continuing research may expand into a new approach to cancer treatment.”

“It represents an important step not only in finding better therapy for the most common type of lung cancer but also in exploring the broader potential of these compounds,” he added.

MAGE-A3 was based on specific tumour antigens, formed using recombinant protein. It is designed to highlight tumour cells to the body’s immune system so that they can be recognised by the body as foreign so they can be destroyed.

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