Drug to cut cancer therapy side-effects

CHANDIGARH: Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy have to cope with some side-effects, including hair loss. They have a hope: a drug, developed by Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), promises to reduce these side-effects by 75%. It will soon be available in the market.

The drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2- DG) has completed three phases of clinical trials and has been sent to a Hyderabad-based laboratory for commercial production pending final approval from the Directorate General of Health Services.

At present there is no drug available that can reduce the side-effects of radiotherapy. If the drug is given to any cancer patient before radiotherapy, the side-effects such as hairfall, nausea, loss of appetite and sleeplessness can be substantially reduced. The multi-centric trials had been carried out in eight cancer hospitals and research institutes.

W Selvamurthy, chief controller (R&D), DRDO said: "The drug has been tested on adult malignant cancer patients with success and it has been patented."

The drug is an analogue of glucose which is structurally same as the blood glucose cells in a human body. The cancer cells are hyperactive as they proliferate rapidly and feed on glucose cells in the body, thus depriving the body of its immunity and energy level. Selvamurthy explained: "These cancer cells start eating the analogue glucose, which does not provide energy like the real glucose cells in the blood. Consequently, it weakens the cancer cells. The radiation from the radiotherapy then destroys these weak cells easily without affecting the surrounding normal cells in the body."

The drug has been approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Dr V M Katoch, director of the ICMR said: "This is a promising drug that will definitely make a significant contribution to the pharmaceutical market."

Read more: Drug to cut cancer therapy side-effects - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Drug-to-cut-cancer-therapy-side-effects-/articleshow/6576536.cms#ixzz10304w7eJ