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Family Calls on FDA to Allow Access to ‘Revolutionary’ Cancer Drug
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The Loughmans hope that raising public awareness will convince the government to relax regulations on the release of the pancreatic cancer drug TNFerade.
30-Second Summary
The Loughman family will hold a news conference Monday in an attempt to garner support for their efforts to make TNFerade available to pancreatic cancer patients, such as wife and mother Connie Loughman and actor Patrick Swayze.
A press release about the event says the pancreatic cancer-fighting drug, made by the biotechnology firm GenVec, should be made available to patients suffering from the deadly disease, which kills 90 percent of patients within one year of being diagnosed.
“Well-meaning, but misguided, regulations have tied the hands of the FDA and the biotechnology firm, GenVec, from providing access to the only drug shown to cure the disease,” according to the release.
But the drug is still under trial and currently unavailable for public use.
The GenVec Web site states that the drug is in a “Phase III” trial stage, and provides links with further information for those who want to learn more about the trial.
The National Cancer Institute states that there will be an estimated 37,680 new cases of pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2008, and 34,290 people will die from the disease.
A press release about the event says the pancreatic cancer-fighting drug, made by the biotechnology firm GenVec, should be made available to patients suffering from the deadly disease, which kills 90 percent of patients within one year of being diagnosed.
“Well-meaning, but misguided, regulations have tied the hands of the FDA and the biotechnology firm, GenVec, from providing access to the only drug shown to cure the disease,” according to the release.
But the drug is still under trial and currently unavailable for public use.
The GenVec Web site states that the drug is in a “Phase III” trial stage, and provides links with further information for those who want to learn more about the trial.
The National Cancer Institute states that there will be an estimated 37,680 new cases of pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2008, and 34,290 people will die from the disease.
Headline Links: Family works for cancer-fighting treatment
During a news conference Monday, the Loughman family will “go public with their plea for the public's assistance to help cut through the red tape that has prevented their mother from receiving the anti-pancreatic cancer treatment, TNFerade,” according to a press release. The release goes on to state that the drug has been shown to cure patients with pancreatic cancer in clinical trials.
Source: PR-Inside
The Loughmans have created a Web site dedicated to their cause, featuring the stories of 62-year-old Connie Loughman and Patrick Swayze. Loughman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007, and Swayze announced he had pancreatic cancer earlier this year. Swayze is currently undergoing treatment, but if those methods do not work, the Web site's creators write, “We hope that he and other pancreatic cancer patients will have access to GenVec's TNFerade, if we can convince the company to start a compassionate use/expanded access program."
Source: Help Cure Connie Loughman and Patrick Swayze
"Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far,” Dr. George Fisher, who is treating Swayze at the Stanford Cancer Center, said in a Newsweek article about the actor’s status. According to the story, pancreatic cancer is so deadly because patients rarely know they are sick before the cancer has reached a late stage. Less than 5 percent of patients live five years after diagnosis.
Source: Newsweek
Related Topics: GenVec
According its Web site, GenVec is a “biopharmaceutical company developing novel gene-based therapeutic drugs and vaccines.” The company calls TNFerade its “lead product,” and states that the pancreatic cancer drug is currently in Phase III trials.
Source: GenVec
According to a Business Wire press release, GenVec reported a net loss of $18.7 million, or $0.25 per share, for 2007. Nonetheless, GenVec’s President and CEO Paul H. Fischer, Ph.D., made positive remarks in the face of the loss. “During the past twelve months GenVec reported encouraging preliminary results from the PACT trial in pancreatic cancer, clarification from the FDA on the regulatory pathway for TNFerade,” he said.
Source: Business Wire
Support for patients
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network “is a nationwide network of people dedicated to working together to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer.” The organization promotes research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure for pancreatic cancer. The site provides information for both patients and healthcare professionals, including the most recent scientific news about the disease.
Source: Action Network
Reference: The facts on pancreatic cancer
The National Cancer Institute Web site provides a wealth of information on pancreatic cancer. The site states that no one really knows the exact causes of pancreatic cancer, but that some factors do increase the likelihood of getting the disease, including smoking, family history, race and age. African-Americans are at greater risk, and most pancreatic cancers occur in people over 60. The site reports on the high death rate from the disease, but also states that there are many clinical trials in the works and that pancreatic cancer patients are eligible to take part and “benefit from new treatments that have shown promise in earlier research."
Source: The National Cancer Institute
FindingDulcinea provides a Web Guide to cancer, including a cancer overview, information on treatment and support groups for patients.
Source: findingDulcinea
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