A new breast cancer therapy that is made in Cork and trialled in Ireland was unveiled today.
Lapatinib (market name TyverbR) targets a type of breast cancer known as ErbB2-positive that accounts for about 25-30 per cent of all breast cancers. It is prescribed for use in women with advanced breast cancer who have exhausted all other therapeutic options.
Lapatinib targets two receptor proteins from inside the cancer cells that are responsible for restricting tumour growth; existing targeted therapies target just one receptor protein.
The medication, produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is taken in tablet form and can be dispensed through patients' local pharmacy without them having to go to hospital.
Clinical trials have shown that the addition of Lapatinib to existing therapy was associated with more than 50 per cent reduction in the risk of disease progression, and Lapatinib has also shown a 35 per cent response rate in women with advanced breast cancer, according to results from European research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Almost 100 Irish women have participated or are participating in Lapatinib clinical trials through the All Ireland Cooperative Oncology Research Group (ICORG).
The GSK manufacturing site at Currabinny, Co. Cork, is the primary production location for supplies of Lapatinib worldwide.
Prof John Crown, one of the lead investigators in the Lapatinib clinical trials, said: “This is an important advance in the treatment of breast cancer. It is gratifying that Ireland had a role in the pivotal trial for Lapatinib and that many Irish patients have had an early opportunity to benefit from the drug because of the work of ICORG.”
“There is great excitement about other potential uses for this drug in the future,” added the consultant oncologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin.
Also speaking today, Minister for Labour Affairs Billy Kelleher said: “The investment and innovation in the development of this drug is proof that Ireland is still a key location for advanced science.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among Irish women.
