Mesothelioma victims for whom standard treatments haven’t worked may have a new reason for hope, as an experimental pill designed using artificial intelligence has yielded encouraging early results in a Phase I clinical trial. At the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting recently held in Madrid, Insilico Medicine presented interim data on its drug, ISM6331. The company reported that the drug shrank tumors or halted cancer growth in some participants while also having a favorable safety profile.
Mesothelioma and the Broken Growth Switch
Like several other cancers, mesothelioma can take hold when a natural growth-control system in cells called the Hippo pathway stops working properly. When that system fails, a family of four proteins known as TEADs switches on genes that help tumors grow, survive, and spread. ISM6331 is designed to block all four of those TEAD proteins, effectively shutting down their dangerous signal.
After testing the drug’s impact on many of those other cancers, Insilico will soon be turning to mesothelioma. The company’s ongoing study enrolled three dozen people with various advanced solid tumors. All had cancer that could not be surgically removed and had already received both immunotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy. Participants were given daily doses of the company’s medication ranging from 15 to 130 mg.
Mesothelioma Researchers Hopeful for Positive Results
Mesothelioma researchers are taking note of the study’s strongest results, which came with the highest dose the study’s scientists administered: two of five patients saw their tumors shrink by 58% and 36%. With two additional responders in the 30–130 mg range, the overall response rate reached 18.2%. Overall, 68.2% of participants had either tumor shrinkage or stable disease at their first assessment.
Mesothelioma patients weighing clinical trials often worry about side effects, and the study’s reports on the issue were reassuring. Most reactions were mild or moderate; 8.3% of participants experienced severe treatment-related events, but no one stopped treatment because of side effects, and no dose-limiting toxicities were reported.
Mesothelioma Research Moves Forward
Mesothelioma will be the focus of the drug’s next stage. After finalizing dose selection, Insilico plans, depending on emerging data, to launch a Phase IIa randomized study specifically on mesothelioma patients. The company says its AI platform cut the time from target discovery to drug candidate from the typical three to five years to 9–18 months, an indication of the value that artificial intelligence provides for medical research.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can provide you with the resources and information you need. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
