ORLANDO - Biotech group GTX Inc on Friday claimed that its proposed treatment Acapodene has shown that it can mitigate two of the serious side effects that are caused by undergoing prostate cancer therapy ADT.
The company revealed that the results of its Phase III clinical trial has shown clearly that Acapodene, also known as toremifene, reduces two of the most serious side effects of androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT. These side effects include decrease in bone density and increase of certain fats, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, in the blood, which can cause cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The Phase III data were revealed on Friday by Dr. Matthew Smith, an oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, at the American Society for Clinical Oncology's annual prostate cancer symposium. In a statement, Dr Smith said, "In previous studies, other agents, including bisphosphonates, have also been associated with significant improvements in bone mineral density in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer."
Dr Smith added that toremifene can also keep the lipid levels in the balance. "However, these results suggest that toremifene has the potential not only to reduce the risk of fractures in men with advanced prostate cancer, but also to improve lipid levels, addressing another significant side effect of the standard treatment for this disease", he said.
Meanwhile speaking to Market Watch, GTX Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mitchell Steiner has said that the company will be filing for U.S. regulatory approval as soon as the final study is completed some time in the first half of 2008.
Steiner added that the company's other research study, where it is looking to develop a drug to prevent prostate cancer in men who show signs of harboring precancerous lesions, will be completed by the first quarter of 2008.
