Breast cancer drug may fight other types of cancer
Palbociclib, a new oral drug for treating breast cancer, may also treat other types of cancer, according to research by the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) in the University of Pennsylvania published this month in JAMA Oncology.
The drug targets CDK4 and CDK6, enzymes in the body that start the cell division of cancer cells.
“All living cells undergo cell division and palbociclib’s unique capacity to halt the cell division process (also known as the ‘cell cycle’) therefore has potentially broad applicability,” said the study’s lead author Amy S. Clark, MD, MSCE.
“Pairing palbociclib with other anti-cancer therapies such as endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy can create a powerful combinatorial effect with real promise for addressing a variety of cancers.” For example, amplification of CDK4 is reported in a high percentage of melanomas and esophageal cancers. Clark said
The study’s senior author, Peter J. O’Dwyer, MD, said the drug has little effect on white blood cells. “In tumors, it can cause shrinkage, or more commonly, arrest of growth. As we discover new functions for the CDK4/6 target of this medicine, we are likely to use it in combinations to make other anti-cancer agents work better,” he continued.
The drug is being tested in a Phase 2 trial for treating mantle-cell lymphoma and sarcoma.
In both breast and other cancer trials, palbociclib has been shown to be safe with once-daily dosing, and its main adverse effect is reversible neutropenia, an abnormally low count of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections. The lower their neutrophil count, the more vulnerable patients are to infectious diseases. In such cases the drug is temporarily discontinued and reintroduced at a lower dose. Other side effects included fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and rash.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
