Revolutionary drug brings new hope for adrenal cancer patients

Washington, September 23 (ANI): Researchers are hopeful that a clinical trial of a new drug will help patients of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a rare but aggressive cancer that hits the adrenal glands.

TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute) Clinical Research Services (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare made the announcement.

Experts are crossing their fingers, wishing the new compound, OSI-906, developed by OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Melville, N.Y., will put an end to ACC tumor growth minus the toxic side effects of present chemotherapies.

Dr. Michael J. Demeure, a TGen Senior Investigator and a Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon experienced in removing ACC tumors, said: "The trial is major step toward helping patients with ACC, who often face radical surgery as part of their treatment."

Demeure, who will supervise the trial locally, continued: "It's a big operation requiring a large incision because these tumors can be the size of a football. Unfortunately many patients' tumors have spread so we can't remove it all, so new treatments are needed.

"This unique partnership between Scottsdale Healthcare and TGen allows us to bring the newest and most promising treatments to patients with cancer right here in Arizona."

Mark Slater, Ph.D., vice president of study, added: "Being the first site in the world for clinical trials of this drug adds to the long list of 'firsts' for the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center."

Patient advocate and ACC survivor, Troy Richards, kicked off the Advancing Treatments for Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ATAC) fund, that helped provide finance for the ACC Research Program at TGen, to initiate research on the disease.

Dr. Kimberly Bussey, a TGen Associate Investigator and Lead Investigator for TGen's Adrenocortical Carcinoma Research Program, said, "Troy brings a sense of urgency and a connection to the ACC patient community that made this trial possible. This is a huge accomplishment for the ACC Research Program at TGen and a great testament to what patient-advocated research can accomplish in a short period of time."

Dr. Maqbool Halepota, an oncologist with the Palo Verde Hematology/Oncology group based at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare also said: "We are eagerly awaiting the opening of this study." (ANI)