
"I was delighted to take part in a clinical trial as it has the potential to really help others in the future.”
This trial was looking at a drug called ASA404 in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that was stage 3B or 4.
Doctors often use chemotherapy to treat NSCLC that is or has spread to another part of the body. Paclitaxel and carboplatin are chemotherapy drugs that may be used.
Cancer cells need a blood supply to help them grow and survive. Growing cancer cells can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. This is called angiogenesis.
In this trial, researchers were looking at a new drug called ASA404 which targets the cancer’s blood supply and might have helped to stop the cancer growing. They compared ASA404 with a dummy drug (a ). The aims of the trial were to
The trial recruited 1,299 people who had non small cell lung cancer that was stage 3B or stage 4. The people taking part had not had any other treatment that reached the whole body () for advanced lung cancer.
The researchers found that
The trial team concluded that in this study, ASA404 did not work any better than the dummy drug when given with chemotherapy for advanced non small cell lung cancer. There will not be any further trials planned for this drug.
A trial looking at ASA404 with docetaxel for people who had already had other chemotherapy for non small cell lung cancer finished recruiting people in 2010.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Tim Eisen
Novartis
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I was delighted to take part in a clinical trial as it has the potential to really help others in the future.”