Once-a-day tablet TAS-108 for resistant breast cancer on way

TAS-108, a new one day tablet to treat drug resistant breast cancer, will soon go on pivotal studies on patients.

TAS-108 is an oral steroidal anti-estrogen drug developed by SRI International through collaborative programmes. The drug is touted to be more effective and safer than the currently used breast cancer agents like  tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors class of drugs.

This once-a-day tablet  has been tested in more than 300 patients so far.

Trial data showed that TAS-108 is effective in reducing the tumour size in patients who have been treated with the current line of therapy using tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.

TAS-108 was also safe and showed not any side-effects common with the other therapies. There was no bone mineral density depletion or endometrial thickening which are associated with  aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen. Overall TAS-108 showed excellent  safety profile, SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, announced in a press statement.

SRI will now take TAS-108 for further clinical development in cooperation with Taiho Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company.

Commercial partners interested in advancing this late stage drug through phase III clinical development, regulatory approvals including Orphan Drug indications, and global commercialization outside of Japan are welcome to contact SRI, the company said.

SRI is in a long term tie-up with  Taiho on the discovery, development, and evaluation of novel endocrine approaches for the treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancers.

SRI’s Center for Cancer Research focuses on the study of the tumour microenvironment, tumour metabolism, and aberrant signalling pathways that cause cancer.

SRI International is one of the world’s leading independent research and technology development organizations.

Silicon Valley-based SRI, which was founded by Stanford University as Stanford Research Institute in 1946 .