A review for those interested in the top line data provided by INCY on metastatic pancreatic cancer:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Pancreas. 2013 Jul;42(5):760-73. doi: 10.1097/MPA.0b013e31827aedef.
Molecularly targeted therapies in metastatic pancreatic cancer: a systematic review.
Zagouri F, Sergentanis TN, Chrysikos D, Zografos CG, Papadimitriou CA, Dimopoulos MA, Filipits M, Bartsch R.
SourceComprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. florazagouri@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancerrelated
death. Most patients present with an advanced stage of disease
that has a dismal outcome, with a median survival of approximately
6 months. Evidently, there is a clear need for the development of new
agents with novel mechanisms of action in this disease. A number of
biological agents modulating different signal transduction pathways are
currently in clinical development, inhibiting angiogenesis and targeting
epidermal growth factor receptor, cell cycle, matrix metalloproteinases,
cyclooxygenase-2, mammalian target of rapamycin, or proteasome. This
is the first systematic review of the literature to synthesize all available
data coming from trials and evaluate the efficacy and safety of molecular
targeted drugs in unresectable and metastatic pancreatic cancer.
However, it should be stressed that although multiple agents have been
tested, only 9 phase 3 trials have been conducted and one agent (erlotinib)
has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in
clinical practice. As knowledge accumulates on the molecular mechanisms
underlying carcinogenesis in the pancreas, the anticipated development
and assessment of molecularly targeted agents may offer a
promising perspective for a disease which, to date, remains incurable.
From the Introduction:
In 2010, there were an estimated 43,140 new cases from pancreatic
cancer. With 36,800 deaths attributed to the disease,
over the same time period in the United States, pancreatic
cancer constitutes the fourth most common cause of cancer
death in 2010,1 highlighting the disproportionate mortality associated
with this diagnosis. Data from 2000 to 2007 in the
Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry indicate
that at diagnosis, most cases of pancreatic cancer are advanced
(50.5% metastatic vs 8% localized, 25.9% regional spread, and
15.5% unstaged),2 the prognosis of which remains dismal with
a median survival of approximately 6 months and fewer than
2% of patients surviving for 5 years.2
...
This is the first systematic review of the literature to synthesize
all available data coming from trials and evaluate the
efficacy and safety of molecular targeted drugs in unresectable
and metastatic pancreatic cancer.
... |
