Prostate cancer drug developed by scientists to begin trials (Video)

It’s being called a major milestone in the fight against prostate cancer.

Researchers at the BC Cancer Agency and the UBC have been approved to leave the lab with their odds-defying breakthrough drug and begin clinical trials.

BC Cancer Agency scientist Dr. Marianne Sadar says the statistical chances of reaching this milestone of are one in 1,000.

The drug targets and shuts down metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer that other treatments have failed to target. It’s the most lethal form of the disease and is resistant to most treatments.

Known as EPI-506, the drug has been over a decade in the making, according to the BC Cancer Agency, and is the first to target what they call the “back-end” of the androgen receptor protein.

“Today represents a significant milestone as we witness the fruits of our labour in the lab move to the clinic to potentially help men facing metastatic prostate cancer,” said Dr. Marianne Sadar.

The clinical trial for the new drug started on Wednesday at the BC Cancer Agency and throughout the United States. It’s been approved by both the FDA and Canada Health for human trials.

The project cost a total of $2.6 million in donations. More than 3,700 men in B.C. are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.

To date, efforts from Movember fund raising in Canada have amassed $15 million in donations for prostate cancer research.

Agencies/Canadajournal