Vismodegib For Treatment Of Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma

Date: Jun-11-2012According to results from the pivotal Phase II ERIVANCE BCC trial, up to 2,000 individuals suffering from advanced basal cell carcinoma (aBCC) in the UK could significantly benefit from a once a day pill called vismodegib.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), found that vismodegib healed visible lesions or shrank tumors in 30% of patients whose cancer had metastasized and in 43% of patients with locally advanced BCC.

Although BCC is the most prevalent type of skin cancer in Europe, there are currently no approved drugs for advanced BCC available in the UK.

BCCs, which almost always occur on parts of the body excessively exposed to the sun, can cause disfigurement if not treated promptly and can also develop into a potentially life threatening advanced form of BCC.

Dr John Lear, Consultant Dermatologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary, explained:

"This is promising news for people with advanced BCC, who until now have had no medicinal treatment options and often have to deal with potentially disfiguring surgery, usually to the face, head and neck, that could result in the removal of an eye or ear. If approved in the UK, vismodegib could set a new standard of care in the treatment of this devastating type of skin cancer."

According to the researchers, 9.5 months was the median duration of progression-free survival (PFS) among patients taking vismodegib. In addition, they found that the most common side effects included:
weight loss
nausea
diarrhea
fatigue
hair loss
muscle spasms
altered taste sensation
decreased appetite

In January 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved vismodegib for the treatment of BCC. In the UK, vismodegib is currently available through clinical trials.

Written By Grace Rattue

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