Researchers Send Cancer-fighting Drugs to Lungs - Drug Discovery and Development

Researchers from the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences,with support from the National Cancer Institute, have shown that administering cancer-preventive drugs directly to target lung tissue via aspiration is an effective and inexpensive alternative to the traditional inhalation method.

In a study, scientists demonstrated that Licofelone, a novel analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent, was successful in low doses at inhibiting tumor progression in a human surrogate lung cancer model. The study is the first of its kind to show that aspiration is an effective alternative for direct delivery of chemopreventive drugs to the lungs.

The researchers tested the efficacy of nontoxic doses of Licofelone against Benzo[a]pyrene – a key cancer-causing chemical found in tobacco smoke–induced tumors in a human surrogate lung cancer model by a 16-week exposure. In addition to confirming efficacy in treating tumor growth, Licofelone was also shown to have a high correlation to early and late biomarkers of lung cancer progression. Licofelone, a possible breakthrough treatment for osteoarthritis that is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials, has also been shown to be effective against a series of other cancers, including pancreatic cancer.

The results of this study indicate that the aspiration route could be highly useful for assessing potential anticancer drug candidates in the current human surrogate lung tumor model mimicking former or current smokers.

“The aspiration route has direct applicability in humans, as the drug will be delivered by the use of an oral metered inhaler, which uses the same route as the aspiration,” says Sheela Sharma, MD, director of The Hamner Center for preclinical safety and efficacy. “This method of administration would further reduce the toxicity of the drug – and thus the potential for side effects – as well as increase the overall efficacy of the treatment.”

The findings were published online in Cancer Prevention Research.

Release Date: June 23, 2011
Source: The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences