'Sunshine blast' to help cancer sufferers
The drug provides at least 50 times more vitamins than the sun provides
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Tuesday, 16, Jan 2007 08:29
A drug which could potentially help sufferers of advanced prostate cancer uses the benefits of sunlight to aid its recipient.
Research published by the Chemistry & Industry journal claims that the drug, named Asentar, doubles the life expectancy of those taking the pills from nine to 18 months.
Asentar works by providing levels of vitamin D between 50 and 100 times higher than those received through normal sunlight, without any of the consequences such an overdose would normally entail.
"An extension of nine months would be very significant in my view," Nick James of the University of Birmingham said, discussing the drug's benefits.
"If the results of the phase III trial are as good as those of the phase II trial, that would be significant."
Assessing the potential profits from the drug, which could be available in 2009 if clinical trials go smoothly, Professor James said that rising levels of prostate cancer cases will be offset by a fall in the number of those who develop the cancer's advanced stage.
A version of Asentar targeting the early stages of prostate cancer could be developed in the future, he added.
Prostate cancer kills one man every hour in the UK alone, according to the C&I study.