A major problem faced by many
cancer patients is that drugs that are initially successful in managing their cancer
lose their effectiveness over time. Sometimes there are other drugs that will
work just as well and sometimes there are not.
Pro Tide NUC-1031, an
experimental drug, has shown early success in stopping drug resistance in some patients
with pancreatic, lung, breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. In a small Phase
I study conducted in London U.K., 11 cancer patients were given varied
doses of NUC-1031. 6 of the 11 patients showed positive results for as long as
24 weeks. Phase II and III trials are scheduled for 2014.
The initial study was small and
there is no guarantee that larger trials will get the same results. There are
other drugs designed to stop resistance to cancer drugs but their success rate
is only in the 5% to 10% range.
Why could this be important for
you? If you have had to change medications over and over because they lose
effectiveness, NUC-1031 may extend the effectiveness of your meds.
To learn more about clinical trials, take a look at our book.
(c) 2012 Tom Beer and Larry Axmaker
