AN INNOVATIVE PRODRUG FOR LIVER CANCER HAS RECEIVED AN ORPHAN DRUG STATUS

The drug’s developer is a Swedish biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative pharmaceutical products for oncology. The drug is a DNA polymerase inhibitor, a prodrug designed to selectively remove malignant cells in the liver with minimal side effects. It is intended for patients with advanced liver cancer for whom existing treatment options provide very little benefit only. It may become the first oral drug for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, the manufacturer expects to treat other forms of liver cancer with MIV-818, such as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile duct, which accounts for 3 to 5% of liver cancer cases.

SOURCE: HEALIO