Myriad Genetics Sponsors Clinical Trial in Pancreatic Cancer
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Myriad Genetics, Inc. has announced that the Company is providing the genetic testing component of a clinical trial in patients with pancreatic cancer being run by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
The trial will enroll patients with previously untreated, advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer and a mutation in the BRCA2 gene.
The BRCA2 gene confers increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer in addition to a substantial increase in pancreatic cancer risk.
Previous studies showed that pancreatic tumors from patients with a BRCA2 gene mutation were approximately 1,000 times more sensitive to mitomycin-C than were tumors from patients without the BRCA2 gene mutation.
If this study confirms these data, then a diagnostic test to determine the BRCA2 status of the pancreatic cancer patients may be indicated to determine the appropriate chemotherapy prior to initiating treatment in pancreatic cancer.
Mitomycin-C is one member of an important class of DNA damaging agents used to treat cancer. BRCA2 is part of the DNA repair process.
When mitomycin-C damages the DNA in a patient's cancer cells, the damage
would normally be repaired with the help of BRCA2.
If there is no BRCA2 to fix the DNA, because of a BRCA2 gene mutation, the mitomycin-C damage is not repaired, the cancer cells die and the drug is more effective.
The clinical trial now underway is designed to determine whether the extreme sensitivity of the pancreatic cancer to mitomycin-C holds true in humans as it did in earlier studies.
A total of 35 patients with BRCA2 mutations will be enrolled for treatment with mitomycin-C during the course of the study.
The study will compare the six-month survival rate of treated patients with the current survival rates from standard of care therapy to determine the potential benefit of using mitomycin-C for people with BRCA2 gene mutations.
Previous study results led the researchers to expect a substantial improvement in the six-month survival time of pancreatic cancer patients.
"We are very excited to participate in this important drug trial that we believe will provide validation for a novel personalized medicine product from Myriad," said Gregory Critchfield, M.D., President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
"The study will explore the value of personalized drug therapy based on the BRCA2 mutation status of a pancreas cancer patient."
"If successful, pancreas cancer patients would be tested for BRCA2 mutations before instituting therapy."
"There is a tremendous opportunity to provide a targeted alternative treatment to patients with pancreatic cancer, something that is desperately needed at present."
