A new drug combination shrinks Ovarian tumours in almost half of patients involved in the study

A new drug combination has shown promising results in shrinking ovarian cancer tumors in nearly half of the patients, according to a report by The Guardian. The Royal Marsden National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research in London, United Kingdom, are leading the trials for this breakthrough treatment.

The study tested the drug avutometinib both alone and in combination with defactinib in 29 patients. The combination drug proved effective in blocking tumor growth and keeping the disease at bay for an extended period. Approximately 45 percent of the patients experienced significant tumor shrinkage with this combination therapy.

Compared to the next best treatment option for ovarian cancer, trametinib, the new drug combination was found to be nearly twice as effective. Trametinib demonstrated a response rate of 26 percent, while the combination therapy showed a higher success rate. The patients involved in the trial all had low-grade serous ovarian cancer, which typically affects younger women.

The drug combination exhibited even better results for women with a specific mutation called KRAS-driven ovarian tumors. Around 60 percent of these women witnessed a better outcome with the drug combination. Encouragingly, the treatment also showed promise for patients without the mutation, with a success rate of 29 percent, as reported by the media.

One of the drugs used in the combination, avutometinib, is a dual RAF and MEK inhibitor that blocks key proteins involved in cancer growth and survival. However, avutometinib alone can become less effective over time as tumors develop resistance to the treatment. By combining it with defactinib, which inhibits a protein associated with drug resistance, avutometinib’s effectiveness was enhanced by over four times.

Dr. Susana Banerjee, the global lead investigator of the study, hailed these findings as a significant breakthrough. She expressed hope that the results could offer a more effective treatment option for women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer. Dr. Banerjee, who is also a consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden and a team leader in women’s cancers at the Institute of Cancer Research, expressed gratitude to the patients who participated in the trial, emphasizing their contribution to making this innovative drug trial possible.