Early results are in from a clinical trial for new prostate cancer treatment drug darolutamide, showcasing the promise of better treatment for specific types of prostate tumors.
Strong Indications of Successful Treatment
Sponsored by major drug manufacturer Bayer, the recently concluded phase 3 ARAMIS clinical trial has been deemed a resounding success based on early results. Researchers associated with the trial recently announced that the drug being tested in the trial, darolutamide, was able to extend metastatic-free survival to more than 40 months when used to treat non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This was more than double the 18.4-month survival rate of patients that did not receive darolutamide during the trial.
With such a major victory against prostate cancer being scored in this clinical trial, the scientists involved have recommended Bayer seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration as soon as possible. This is reinforced by the trial finding no increased risk of side effects in patients taking darolutamide during the study. While the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, based on the resounding success of this new trial it’s likely that the new drug will eventually be approved for treatment of these aggressive types of cancers.
Why the Success of this Drug is So Noteworthy
The fact that darolutamide has proven so successful in treating this specific type of prostate cancer is noteworthy because castration-resistant prostate cancer is, as its name implies, extremely resistant to anti-cancer drugs. In this case, castration-resistant tumors do not respond very well to existing types of androgen-resistant therapy (ADT), which is the standard non-invasive treatment method for non-metastatic prostate cancer.
Finding drug combinations that circumvent the drug resistance of this cancer type has a number of positive implications. First and foremost, it improves survivability by a wide margin, as the clinical trial data seems to show. Additionally, it means that there are more options for doctors to treat patients with prostate cancer that don’t involve more advanced and invasive methods, such as radiation therapy and prostate surgery, that have a higher risk of side effects. With treating cancer not just about saving lives but also improving quality of life, it’s gratifying to see this new treatment having the potential to do both — and that it may be on the market and available to patients sooner rather than later.
