Experimental drug shrinks prostate tumors in patients who did not respond to previous treatments

Johnson & Johnson announced that an experimental oral drug for advanced prostate cancer showed promising initial results, leading to tumor shrinkage or disappearance in some patients who had not responded to previous treatments, in an early clinical trial involving 31 patients.

Johnson & Johnson announced on Saturday that an experimental oral drug for advanced prostate cancer showed promising initial results, after leading to tumor shrinkage or disappearance in some patients participating in an early clinical trial who had previously received multiple treatments. The data showed that 77% of the 31 evaluable patients who received a daily dose of 50 milligrams of the drug recorded a decrease of at least 50% in prostate-specific antigen levels, a blood marker used to monitor disease progression and treatment response. Additionally, levels of this marker decreased by at least 90% in 48% of patients in the same group, reflecting early drug activity, although a decline in this marker does not necessarily indicate tumor shrinkage or improved survival chances. Medical imaging results showed a confirmed complete or partial response in 69% of patients with measurable tumors, indicating tumor disappearance or shrinkage in this group. The published data did not specify the number of patients included in the imaging response assessment. The results were presented at the annual conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology, as part of an early study aimed at evaluating the drug's safety and initial efficacy in patients with advanced prostate cancer who had received several prior lines of treatment. The experimental drug, named JNJ-6143, is taken orally once daily and works by targeting proteins essential for cancer cell survival.