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A new drug has been developed that prevents the formation of cancer metastases
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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An American company has developed a new cancer drug that prevents tumor growth and metastasis, New Scientis reports. The effectiveness of the drug cabozatinib, released by Exelixis, was assessed by a group of specialists led by Donald McDonald from the University of California, San Francisco.
McDonald and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments on laboratory mice that had malignant tumors. At the age of 14 weeks, half of the rodents began to receive cabozatinib, and the other part - a placebo. As a result, only animals from the first group survived to the age of 20 weeks.
After this, clinical trials of the new drug were conducted involving 108 men suffering from prostate cancer with metastases in bone tissue. Upon completion of the trials, secondary tumors in the bones decreased in size or completely disappeared in 82 patients. An increase in tumor size was recorded in only one patient. In addition, two-thirds of the patients reported a decrease in pain caused by the disease.
The antitumor effect of cabozatinib is due to two mechanisms of action of the drug. It blocks the receptors of the vascular endothelial growth factor, preventing the growth of the primary tumor. Suppression of metastases, in turn, is associated with the blockade of receptors of another protein - hepatocyte growth factor.
Exelixis is currently preparing to conduct further clinical trials of the new drug. The analgesic effect of the drug will be assessed in a group of 246 patients. The effect of cabozatinib on life expectancy will be studied in 960 patients with malignant neoplasms.
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