Mesothelioma Treatments - Onconase (Ranpirnase) Drug Therapy

Onconase (a contraction of the words 'oncology' and 'ribonuclease') was developed by scientists at Alfacell Corporation. It is a ribonuclease protein which enhances the anti-cancer effects of conventional chemotherapy. Normally, the body pumps out anti-cancer drugs from the cancerous cell, requiring that higher doses of the toxic drugs be used. Results suggest that Onconase is able to make these resistant cells susceptible to standard levels of treatment so that lower doses are effective and side effects are reduced. The drug itself is developed from the eggs of Rana pipiens, the leopard frog.

Promising New Drug for Mesothelioma

Positive developments with this therapy were announced this year: "Onconase (Ranpirnase) Shows Promise in Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma", January 2002. Results of the Phase II clinical trial were reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology: "Phase II trial of a single weekly intravenous dose of ranpirnase in patients with unresectable mesothelioma," by S.M. Mikulski, N.J. Vogelzang, et al., J. Clin. Onol 2002 Jan 1;20(1):274-81. At Nature.com's Trial Watch, the trial is described:

Results of a Phase II multicentre trial indicate that the ribonuclease-based drug ranpirnase (Onconase) shows promise as a treatment for patients with inoperable malignant mesothelioma. As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the tumours either shrank or stopped growing in 41 of the 81 patients that were assessable for tumour response.

Go to Onconase Clinical Program for more information concerning Phase III trials involving this treatment.

Specific Mesothelioma Drug / Chemotherapy Treatments:

• » Alimta (pemetrexed)
• » Lovastatin
• » Megace
• » Onconase
• » Vinorelbine