Pat Guth contributes news and insightful content for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Bio »
February 22, 2013
New York, NY - A first-in-man trial of Genelux's new GL-ONC1 drug, designed to address various types of cancer, has begun on mesothelioma patients at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, reports a press release by the drug company.
The drug, which is being injected into the pleural cavity of patients dealing with this tough-to-treat form of cancer, is designed to relieve the build-up of fluid around the lungs, a common symptom of the asbestos-caused disease that strikes about 3,000 Americans each year.
Genelux CEO Aladar Szalay said in a statement to the media that GL-ONC1 has worked against several other types of cancer and has "shown encouraging results" in previous clinical trials. He notes that the drug can be used as both a treatment and a diagnostic tool, as it produces a green fluorescent protein that can be tracked within the patient to help determine the spread of the disease.
The trial, which began a few weeks ago, is co-sponsored by the hospital and the drug company, and could involve as many as 54 pleural mesothelioma patients, the press release states. Those who participate in the trial must also agree to undergo video-assisted thoracic surgery with pleural biopsies.
The goal of the trial, says Szalay, is to test the safety and tolerability of GL-ONC1, as well as to determine the optimal dose for intra-pleural delivery.
An estimated 30 percent of all pleural mesothelioma patients deal with pleural effusion, a build-up of fluid in the pleural space. As the fluid carries the seeds of malignancy, it is essential that it be addressed along with other symptoms of the disease. Furthermore, effusion is a severely debilitating symptom that greatly inhibits breathing and impacts the patient's quality of life.
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