Thalomid closer to being approved for cancer

Drug maker Celgene has completed a trial for use of the drug Thalomid for use by cancer patients. The drug, which is commonly used to treat leprosy, has not yet been approved by the FDA to treat cancer. The recent study was terminated when the study reached statistical significance for treating patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma: The results seem impressive: " In a 270-patient trial, those given Thalomid plus the synthetic steroid dexamethasone went an average of 75.7 weeks before their disease progressed, compared with 27.9 weeks in patients given dexamethasone alone. Patients in the Thalomid group survived an average of 55.7 weeks without disease progression, versus 24.3 weeks in the dexamethasone-only group." This latest study should mean that Thalomid will soon be approved for treating multiple myeloma.

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