New hope for Liver Cancer patients

Sorafenib, an oral pill will protract the survival of the liver cancer patients who have no option except extremely expensive way of liver transplantation. This was claimed by the American scientists who have successfully discovered a new drug that extends the life of the cancer patient from the very advance stage.

American scientists have claimed that Nexavar, the brand name of the Sorafenib drug is the first systemic drug that blocks the formation of blood vessels feeding tumors and also averts the cancerous growth involving rapid cellular and tissue growth.

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This enhances the chances of survival of the cancer patients up to 44 per cent or about three months. Though a proper drug is yet to be discovered that will completely eradicate the cancer, but this is the first successful step and a major progress in this field.

Liver cancer, the third deadly disease in the world is now curable; according to researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain. The researchers presented their research report at American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago on Monday, June 04. The research report was based on the study of 602 patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer. The patients were divided into two groups; One group was treated with 400 mgs of single Nexavar (Sorafenib) tablet, given twice a day, while the other group was treated in the same pattern by a dummy for two years, from March 2005 to February 2007. “All patients had no more than six months life before the experiment began,” said a researcher. “The result was amazing. On an average, the patient who received treatment with Sorafenib survived till 10.7 months while the other group of patient could live up to 08 months only. This experiment has opened new avenues regarding the treatment of liver cancer.”

According to World Health Organization WHO, more than 6,22,000 people across the world die because of this fatal disease. The disease is very much related to Hepatitis B and C virus. The exposure of these viruses is the primary reason of this fatal disease, but smoking and liquor is also among the main reason of lever cancer. It is very difficult to diagnose this disease at the early stage, that’s why most of the patients are detected with chronic cancer at the advance stage. It is often too late for a proper cure. If it is detected in the early or second stage, then lever transplantation is the only way to save the life of the patient. But this process is extremely expensive. The surgical procedure costs about 15 lacs (in Indian currency). After that the patient has to go for oral treatment to prevent the rejection of the transplanted organ.

Sorafenib is the only way of curing the patient at the advanced stage, when surgery and radio therapy does not work, claims Emeryville Biotechnology Company, the developer of Sorafenib. Nexavar has already been approved for treating kidney cancer and experiments are being conducted for other cancer types, including melanoma, lung cancer and breast cancer. Onyx, a US pharmaceuticals company with its German partner, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp, have planned to ask the Food and Drug Administration of USA for getting approval of Nexavar in treating the liver cancer. These pharmaceutical companies have developed Nexavar as a joint project. The decision may come by early 2008, Onyx chief executive Hollings Renton said. “The estimated cost of this treatment would be approximately $4500 per month,” added the CEO.

A market expert has analyzed that the estimate sale of Nexavar could reach over $1 billion by 2011, with $745 million in treatments for liver cancer, while Onyx's shares had gained $2.64 to close at $33.52 on Monday, June 04.