An immunotherapy drug could spare bowel cancer patients the need for surgery and chemotherapy after results showed it was effective in 100% of cases.
Jemperli, also called dostarlimab, from GSK delivered “unprecedented results,” the company said, with no evidence of disease in all patients treated.
Everyone taking the medication had locally advanced mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) rectal cancer, a form of bowel cancer, according to data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago.
Jemperli is already approved on the NHS for women with some types of advanced or recurrent womb cancer.
The data showed that all 42 patients in a trial led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the USA had a complete response to treatment, with no evidence of tumors on scans.
The first 24 patients have so far been followed for just over 26 months, on average.
Studies suggest that rectal cancer (dMMR) accounts for five to 10 percent of all rectal cancers.
Hesham Abdullah, senior vice president at GSK, said: “The data showing no evidence of disease in 42 patients is remarkable.
“These results bring us one step closer to understanding the potential of dostarlimab in this curative intent setting for patients with locally advanced dMMR rectal cancer.
“We look forward to evaluating dostarlimab in certain types of colorectal cancer in our ongoing AZUR-1 and AZUR-2 registration studies.”
The current standard of care for patients with this type of cancer is chemotherapy plus radiation, followed by surgery.
Andrea Cercek, principal investigator of the phase II study, said the new treatment showed “complete and durable tumor regression without the need for life-altering treatment” such as chemotherapy and surgery.
She added: “As a doctor, I have seen first-hand the debilitating impact of standard dMMR rectal cancer treatment.
“I am excited about the potential of dostarlimab in these patients.”
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in England, with around 44,000 new cases every year.
More than 16,800 lose their lives annually, statistics from Cancer Research UK show.
Public awareness is rising thanks to campaigners such as Sun writer Dame Deborah James, who died from the disease in 2022 aged just 40.
The signs of bowel cancer you need to know – remember the BOWEL
B: Bleeding
There are several possible causes of bleeding from the bottom, of blood in poop.
Bright red blood can come from swollen blood vessels, hemorrhoids, or hemorrhoids in the anus.
Dark red or black blood may come from the intestines or stomach.
Blood in the stool is one of the main signs of bowel cancer, so it’s important to mention it to your doctor so they can investigate.
O: Obvious change in bathroom habits
It is important to inform your GP if you notice any changes in your bowel habits that last three weeks or longer.
It’s especially important if you also notice signs of blood in your poop.
You may notice that you need to go to the bathroom more often, you may have looser stools, or you may feel like you are not going enough or emptying your bowels completely.
Don’t be embarrassed, your doctor has probably heard much worse! Speak and check.
W: Weight loss
This is less common than the other symptoms, but it is important to be aware. If you’ve lost weight and don’t know exactly why, it’s worth talking to your doctor.
You may not feel like eating, feel sick, bloated and not hungry.
E: Extreme tiredness
Bowel cancer that causes bleeding can cause a lack of iron in the body – anemia. If you develop anemia, you are likely to feel tired and your skin will become pale.
L: lump or pain
As with many other forms of cancer, a lump or pain can be a sign of bowel cancer.
You’re more likely to feel a pain or lump in your stomach or anus.
See your doctor if it doesn’t go away or if it affects the way you eat or sleep
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What is Jemperli?
Dostarlimab, sold under the brand name Jemperli, is an immunotherapy medication.
It is a checkpoint inhibitor, which affects a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte.
These are an important part of the immune system and, when active, can attack another cell, such as a cancer cell.
But if they receive a certain signal from the other cell, they shut down and don’t attack it.
Checkpoint inhibitors block signals that turn lymphocytes off by attaching to the cancer cell or lymphocyte.
This means that the lymphocyte remains active and can attack the cancer cell.
Dostarlimab is already approved on the NHS for women with some types of advanced or recurrent womb cancer.
Source: Macmillan
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
