Mesothelioma Treatment Licensed by Strativa Pharmaceuticals

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January 18, 2008

Drug research and development firm Alphacell has licensed the U.S. distribution rights for its drug Onconase to Strativa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Par Pharmaceuticals. Onconase is currently in Phase III trials as a treatment for inoperable malignant cases of mesothelioma. The drug has been given fast track status by the FDA as there is nothing else like it currently on the market and mesothelioma is a cancer that develops rapidly.

Mesothelioma is the lethal form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure, and the reason why so many older buildings in this country have either been stripped of asbestos or abandoned. It is also the disease that has led to dozens of successful lawsuits brought by victims of the disease against the manufacturers of asbestos and products that utilized asbestos.

Inconase is described as a “first in class” product by virtue of its development from the ribonucleic characteristics of a natural protein first found in the leopard frog. The medication attacks cancerous cells while leaving the healthy cells surrounding the afflicted area healthy and in place. According to its manufacturer, Onconase triggers apotosis, which is the natural death of cells. That approach to treatment is very different from either radiological exposure or chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant cells.

It is worth noting that the FDA recognized the plight of mesothelioma victims in helping to fast track the research for Onconase. In the past, the agency has been faulted for slowing the introduction of drugs that could help save or extend lives in cases where no other treatment was available.

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