Drugs currently in trials for obesity and diabetes may soon be fast-tracked for use in the fight against breast cancer. Typically, it takes many years to research and develop new drugs. But these already-developed drugs, if successful, could reach the market much quicker.The drugs, believed to work by blocking the enzyme PTP1B, could help breast cancer patients because the enzyme is found in high levels in about 40 percent of these patients.
Studies on mice show blocking production of the enzyme significantly slowed tumor development. In some cases, it stopped the spread of the cancer and it might even stop some tumors from forming.
This is "very important and surprising," says one researcher who remarked that the excitement over this discovery is that we won't have to wait for several years of research. The compound has already been developed -- and that's great news.
Clinical trials for diabetes have shown the drug to have very low toxicity in comparison to other cancer treatments. So side effects are minimal.
Within months, researchers hope to begin investigating the role of PTP1B in other types of cancer, primarily ovarian cancer and certain types of adult leukemia.
As for breast cancer, it's predicted the breast cancer patients with HER2 positive disease will be the group most likely to benefit from these new drugs. Combining the drugs with Herceptin -- a targeted drug therapy believed to cut recurrence by up to 50 percent in these women -- could provide a "two-way kill," say experts.
