Study reveals anticancer activity

A potential new treatment for patients with metastatic prostate cancer has demonstrated anticancer activity in some patients in a clinical trial.

The trial shows stabilization and declining prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in patients that participated in a Phase II clinical trial at the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center and Indiana University.

Clinical investigators also reported that a drug, PanzemTM (also known as 2ME2), taken orally as a capsule, was safe and well tolerated and demonstrated signs of inhibiting blood vessel growth associated with the disease.

The drug was tested with 33 hormone refractory prostate cancer patients, (those whose PSA was rising or who had disease that had spread to the surrounding tissue and bone despite hormone treatment, radiation or surgery.)

“I am pleased with the study results and I look forward to further research with Panzem TM in its new formulation as a potential treatment for patients with prostate cancer,” says George Wilding, professor of medicine and a medical oncologist with the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Thirty-three hormone refractory prostate cancer patients, median age of 74 years, were enrolled in the Phase II clinical trial at the UWCCC and Indiana University.

Patients remained on the study a median time of 16 weeks, with some patients on study for 48 weeks. Panzem TM’s bioavailability was not significantly different between the high and low dose groups probably due to limited absorption. The change in Panzem TM’s formulation is intended to address this issue.

The clinical study evaluations followed guidelines set by the Prostate-Specific Antigen Working Group. For detailed information, the complete study entitled “Phase 2, Multicenter, Randomized, Double Blind, Safety, Pharmacokinetic, Pharmacodynamic and Efficacy Study of Two Doses of 2methoxyestradiol Administered Orally in Patients with Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer” is available online.