South Texas Oncology and Hematology’s Dr. Lon Smith has been involved in many cancer drug trials over the past 25 years. But only once before has he seen results as promising as those he is seeing with a new pancreatic cancer drug he is investigating for abraxis BioScience.
The drug, abraxane, used in combination with another chemotherapy drug known as Gemzar, showed a significant clinical benefit in 16 of 20 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer participating in the Phase I clinical trial. With these impressive early results in mind, Smith and physician–researchers at three other sites around the country are now recruiting additional pancreatic cancer patients for further study of the abraxane–Gemzar combination.
Smith is particularly excited about the potential of this investigational therapy because of the lethality of pancreatic cancer. In fact, about four people in the United States die every hour from the disease, largely because it is often detected only after it has reached an advanced stage.
“The best drug therapy that doctors currently have at their disposal for pancreatic cancer really isn’t very effective, unfortunately,” dr. Smith says. “It’s still early in the development of this new drug, but we’ve seen some amazing results so far, so we just hope that continues.”
Smith and the rest of the South texas oncology and Hematology (StoH) team have been involved in cutting–edge research for years and have helped develop many of the cancer therapies now used worldwide. Their focus on bringing the latest advances in cancer treatment to their patients is a big reason behind the StoH group’s impending move to a newer and much larger headquarters facility.
The new, 120,000 square–foot home of StoH is under con– struction in the heart of the South texas Medical center, at the corner of Medical drive and Ewing Halsell on a 4.5–acre site. The StoH doctors expect to open the doors to their new center in late 2008.
