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Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals Announces The Beginning Of Phase I/II Clinical Trials For Apoptone

In July, 2008, the pharmaceutical company Hollis-Eden announced the start of initial phase trials of the drug Apoptone, used in the treatment of late-stage prostate cancer patients for whom hormone therapy and at least one round of chemotherapy have proved ineffective.

Several months prior in April, 2008, Dr. Eva Corey from the University of Washington, presented positive data from a preclinical study of Apotone at the 2008 American Association of Cancer Research in San Diego, California.

Apoptone is Hollis-Eden's leading drug currently under investigation for its potential in cancer treatment. It has been shown in preclinical studies to control the growth and development of new tumors, as well as the number of instances of new tumors forming.

The drug affects prostate cancer differently from others used in hormone therapy by actually affecting the death of tumor cells. When hormone therapy is used, the process works to slow the growth and development of cancerous cells, but does affect a cell death. As a result, hormone therapies eventually fail at some point to be effective in fighting the disease in an individual.

This Phase I/II study of Apoptone, which is being conducted with the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial Consortium, will evaluate the effectiveness of the drug in several areas. The study will be conducted on forty-four patients for a total of 28 days, following a twice per day dosage of the drug. Two of the most important characteristics of the drug which are being evaluated include safety, as well as the tolerance of patients for the drug.

In 2004, the last year for which statistics are available, 189,075 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and just over 29,000 died from the disease in the United States. Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate gland which is a part of the male reproductive system. It is often diagnosed in advanced-aged men, however younger men who are African-American or have a blood-relative who has suffered from the disease, are at higher risk for contracting the cancer.

Researchers are optimistic that prostate cancer treatment using Apoptone may provide patients in the advanced stages of the disease with more options for effective treatment of their conditions.

While hormone therapy, used to decrease or eliminate testosterone in the body and thus check the growth and development of prostate cancer cells, has been virtually the only effective option (besides chemotherapy) for patients in advanced stages of the disease, its side-effects similar to those experienced by menopausal women, are considered less than desirable. The development of an effective and safe prostate cancer treatment with Apoptone would be a significant advancement in available treatment.

About the Author

James Culp is a prostate cancer survivor and runs ProstAide.org, a blog that keeps track of all the latest prostate cancer treatment options available.

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