New cancer-fighting drug is already saving lives
Australian researchers have made a breakthrough while trialling a new drug that has already saved lives of those battling melanoma.
Over 700 Australians were involved in the clinical trial with Melanoma Institute Australia, including Sydneysider Andrew Bennett.
The 57-year-old dad had melanoma tumours spreading through his leg that had disappeared in the six months after he underwent immunotherapy.
“You get your life back. It’s hard to express. When you think you’re going somewhere else and you’re not. It was sort of life-changing in many respects,” Mr Bennett said.
Immunotherapy treatment uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer using drugs called “checkpoint inhibitors”.
How does immunotherapy work?
Immune checkpoints are part of the immune system and prevent immune responses from being so strong it destroys healthy cells.
To do this, proteins on the surface of immune cells bind to proteins on other cells and stop the immune response.
But, these proteins can also bind to those on tumour cells, which means that the immune system is stopped from attacking the cancer.
Checkpoint inhibitors stop these proteins from binding to cancerous cells so that the immune system can destroy the cancer.
A new option
Until now, only two checkpoint inhibitors have been used for treating melanoma, and the breakthrough means a third option is now available.
The new treatment, called Relatlimab, is the first to target LAG-3, a protein in immune cells.
When used in combination with drugs already available, it has been found to be less toxic for patients.
Successful trial of new cancer treatment led by @ProfGLongMIA AO, to be presented at #ASCO2021 this w/e. Relatlimab, immunotherapy targeting LAG-3 protein, is new weapon to save lives from #melanoma, with potential for other cancers. @ASCO @syd_health https://t.co/VTBhnwWlXA
— Melanoma Institute (@MelanomaAus) June 3, 2021
“It means that the patient tolerates the treatment better with a lower chance of side effects,” said Professor Georgina Long AO, senior lead author of the trial.
“And in fact, they have a very high quality of life. Most people are able to work full-time and enjoy life as if they didn’t know they had cancer.”
Clinical trials have commenced to test the effectiveness of the drug on other cancers including lung, liver, head and neck, and kidney cancer.