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Pharmaceutical industry

Ovarian Cancer Study Seeks 698 Participants to Combat Multidrug Resistance

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A novel clinical trial is enrolling 698 patients with advanced ovarian cancer to evaluate the effectiveness of combining standard chemotherapy with PSC 833, an investigational agent that may overcome chemotherapy resistance and prevent its development. The study, sponsored by Novartis, aims to recruit patients from the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and Australia. Ovarian cancer patients often exhibit an initial response to chemotherapy, but eventually develop multidrug resistance, a phenomenon where cancer cells pump out cytotoxic drugs, rendering them unresponsive to treatment. This resistance affects approximately 800,000 cancer patients annually, significantly contributing to morbidity and mortality.

Key Takeaways:

  • The clinical trial is focused on evaluating the combination of standard chemotherapy with PSC 833 to combat multidrug resistance in advanced ovarian cancer patients.
  • The study aims to recruit 698 patients with stage III or IV ovarian cancer from the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and Australia.
  • Approximately 25,400 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998, and around 14,500 will die from the disease.
  • PSC 833 may have the capacity to block the P-gp pump, preventing cytotoxic drugs from being expelled from tumor cells and maintaining the malignant cells' responsiveness to chemotherapy.
  • Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is researching and developing innovative treatments for various cancers, including glioblastoma, and has several oncology compounds in development.
  • The company invests over 3 billion Swiss francs (U.S. $2.1 billion) annually in R&D and employs approximately 87,000 people worldwide.

Statistics:

  • 25,400 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998.
  • Approximately 14,500 women will die of ovarian cancer in 1998.
  • The study seeks 698 patients with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian cancer or primary cancer of the peritoneum.
  • 800,000 cancer patients annually are affected by multidrug resistance.
  • Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has a global workforce of around 87,000 people.

Sources:

  • Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
  • American Cancer Society estimates for 1998
  • May 8 /PRNewswire/

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