Archive for category Clinical Trials

Developer of mesothelioma treatment honored by Princeton

Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Clinical Trials, Mesothelioma, Research, Treatment on June 22, 2010

Those fighting malignant pleural mesothelioma have had a new drug at their disposal since it was approved by the FDA in 2004, and it has worked wonders for many – stopping the growth and spread of the cancer, in addition to extending life and relieving patient suffering.

The developer of that drug — Alimta — was honored with a doctoral degree at Princeton’s 263rd commencement exercises earlier this month.

Prof. Edward C. Taylor has been a mainstay at Princeton since 1954, when he first joined the faculty. In 1966, he was appointed Professor of Organic Chemistry – a position he held until 1997, when he was appointed Professor of Organic Chemistry Emeritus and Senior Research Assistant.

With over 450 published scientific papers and the holder of more than 50 patents in the chemistry field, Taylor is one of Princeton’s most tenured and respected researchers.

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Developments in new therapies against Mesothelioma

Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Clinical Trials, Mesothelioma, Research, Treatment on June 2, 2010

A new study indicates promising results in therapies to combat mesothelioma and other cancers.

The results of a joint study (“Pro-tumorigenic Effects of miR-31 Loss in Mesothelioma,”) between Rosetta Genomics and NYUs Langone Medical Center shows the potential of miR-31 – a micro RNA recently discovered to be a suppressor of breast cancer metastases – to inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion and clonogenicity of mesothelioma cells.

“Over the past several years, microRNAs have been hailed as one of the most significant scientific and medical discoveries. They have been described as the body’s ‘master switches’, holding significant potential for therapeutic applications,” said Kenneth A. Berlin, President and CEO of Rosetta Genomics.

Berlin also noted how the study is yet another demonstration of microRNAs potential role in cancer therapeutics and how significant an impact a single microRNA can have on the course of a disease.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered, small RNAs that play the “master regulator” of protein synthesis, and are highly effective biomarkers. Early data has shown that cancer cell growth may be reduced by controlling levels of specific microRNAs.

Founded in 2000, Rosetta Genomics is a company on the forefront of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics and was the winner of the Wall Street Journal’s Technology Innovation Awards in the medical/biotech category.

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Clinical Trial for Mesothelioma Patients

Posted by Mellissa@SokoloveLaw in Clinical Trials on February 5, 2010

Dr. Robert Taub and his staff at the Mesothelioma Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center are recruiting pleural mesothelioma patients for a clinical trial of a new targeted radiation and chemotherapy treatment.  Their center will be the only one offering this experimental therapy nationwide.  Pleural mesothelioma patients typically undergo surgical and chemotherapy treatments with no significant increases in survival.  According to Dr. Taub, this study will investigate “whether a combination of chemotherapy and radiation targeted directly at the lung’s lining can improve outcomes while avoiding surgery.”

This could be good news for patients suffering from mesothelioma which is a complicated disease.  Often pleural mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose and patients don’t receive a diagnosis until they are in the later stages of disease.  Then the treatment options are limited and a patient’s prognosis is typically 6 – 18 months.  Patients, families and advocates have been calling for increased funding for research which could lead to better diagnostic tests and treatment options.  This clinical trial could be a step in the right direction.

The study is looking for patients over the age of 18, who have not recently undergone radiation therapy or chemotherapy and have not had Alimta chemotherapy in the past.  Patients can call #212-305-6837 for more information about the study.

For more details read:  Lung Cancer Trial Targets Asbestos-Related Disease

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Clinical Trials and the Mesothelioma Patient

Posted by Mellissa@SokoloveLaw in Clinical Trials, Mesothelioma, Support on August 17, 2009

Clinical trials are an attractive alternative for many mesothelioma patients.  This is often the case for those who have been given a short prognosis, been diagnosed in the late stages of the disease or for those patients who prefer less invasive treatment options.  These clinical trials offer mesothelioma patients access to cutting edge technology/treatment and also provide hope when other treatments have been unsuccessful.  In addition, many of my clients have voiced that participating in these clinical trials allows them to help future victims of mesothelioma.

Before becoming part of a clinical trial I advise my clients to understand what a clinical trial is, the benefits, and the risks involved. Ask questions and consult your treatment provider in regard to the specific trial.  Discuss the trial and what it could mean to you with your family and close friends.

A clinical trial that has been getting attention lately is MORAb-009.  This study focuses on the use of MORAb-009 monoclonal antibody with current chemotherapy drugs pemetrexed and cisplatinum.  The goal of this trial is to determine if using MORAb-009 as a combination therapy with the current standard of care provides better results than using the standard of care by itself.  The researchers hope this trial will show slowed or stopped progression of the mesothelioma disease,  safety of the drug and anti-tumor effects of the drug.  A detailed description of the study can be found at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/140835.php .

I encourage anyone suffering from mesothelioma or other cancers to explore all their treatment options including clinical trials.   Below are resources for more information about clinical trials and mesothelioma trials currently in progress.

National Institute of Health (NIH)

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Center Watch (http://search.centerwatch.com/default.aspx?SearchQuery=mesothelioma)

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Erlotinib Clinical Trial Shows Promising Results

Posted by Mellissa@SokoloveLaw in Clinical Trials, Research on August 9, 2009

Clinical Trials play an important role in many mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer client treatments.  This is the recent update on Erlotinib (Tarceva) and improved survival rates in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer when treated with this drug after standard chemotherapy.  Read about it at http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/news.showNewsArticle/id/13/news_id/1531.

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