A European drug company named MolMed has had good initial success with a medication called Arenegyr which is designed to attack malignant tumors brought on by mesothelioma.  As a result, European medical authorities have granted the drug “orphan status” in order to speed its development.  European Orphan Drug designation is granted to therapeutics intended for treatment of life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases affecting no more than 5 in 10,000 people. The Orphan Drug designation confers several benefits to drug development, including the possibility to reduce time to reach the market.

According to MolMed’s CEO, “The analysis of preliminary study results …conducted on 41 patients, already gave evidence of substantial clinical benefits in terms of long-lasting disease control and promising survivals in chemo-pretreated mesothelioma patients. In particular, it shows improved overall survival, and nearly doubled progression-free survival with respect to best supportive care data reported in literature.”

The drug itself is not just being tested with mesothelioma patients; it is also in Phase II trials with small-cell lung cancer and colo-rectal cancer.   Arenrgyr acts to restrict the flow of blood to the tumor.  It also carries a “cytokine” agent designed to disrupt the interaction of tumor cells and thus restrict growth.

MolMed is in development with two other products that feature novel approaches to fighting cancer.  One is designed to work in conjunction with a bone marrow transplant for leukemia patients.  The other is an anti-tumor product focused on melanoma.  The company is based in Milan, Italy.