Early trial results of a new drug developed for advanced stage prostate cancer have been described as “remarkable” by medical experts.
This innovative treatment is an immunotherapy designed to activate the body’s own immune system against cancer. The therapy not only helped shrink existing tumors but also showed the ability to prevent their further growth.
Cancer specialists have welcomed these results, particularly because traditional immunotherapies have not been very successful in prostate cancer in the past. They often failed to significantly reduce tumors and caused severe side effects in patients.
However, the new drug, named VIR-5500, uses a unique “stealth system” that allows it to become active only after reaching the tumor, thereby significantly reducing the risk of harmful side effects.
Presenting the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, researchers reported that the drug was tested on 58 men with advanced prostate cancer whose disease had stopped responding to other treatments.
