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June 8, 2007:
Torisel (temsirolimus), a renal cell carcinoma
drug, has been given approval by the FDA. Renal
cell carcinoma is a form of kidney cancer. It is
said that Torisel has been shown to increase a
patient's survival time.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the drug
Torisel, said that it expects Torisel to be
available in the market in July 2007. The FDA
conducted a clinical trial on 626 patients who
were split into three groups. The first group of
patients was given Torisel, while the second group
was given a medicine called Interferon alpha,
which is a comparison drug. The third group was
given a combination of Torisel and Interferon. The
test showed that the patients who only took
Torisel lived at least 11 months, compared with
7.3 months for those who only took interferon. The
difference is about 3.5months.
Also, for those persons who were given Torisel,
the renal cell carcinoma generally took about two
months longer to worsen.
Renal cell carcinoma, which almost accounts for 85
percent of all U.S. adult kidney cancer, is
diagnosed in 51,000 people annually in North
America.
Owners of dogs are advised to talk to their
veterinarians about taking their dogs along on
holiday.
BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
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