Spectrum anticancer drug well tolerated in kidney/liver studies

As patients with advanced cancer may often have limited function of the liver and/or kidneys, it is important to understand how these impairments affect how a drug is used by the body.

The results of the studies should help clinicians understand the tolerability and appropriate dosing of satraplatin in cancer patients whose liver or kidney functions are compromised.

According to the company, the main toxicities observed thus far have been hematologic – anemia, thrombocytopenia (decrease in platelets in the blood) and neutropenia (decrease in white blood cells). Non-hematologic toxicities like diarrhea, anorexia, and fatigue have been mild. No significant cardio, liver or neurological toxicities have yet been observed.

The data from the studies were presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Atlanta, Georgia.

Satraplatin, an investigational drug, is a member of the platinum family of compounds. Over the past two decades, platinum-based drugs have become a critical part of modern chemotherapy treatments and are used to treat a wide variety of cancers. Unlike the platinum drugs currently on the market, all of which require intravenous administration, satraplatin is an orally bioavailable compound and is given as capsules that patients can take at home.