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Amanda
In regards to the Tykerb - Herceptin debate, what is of particular note is that monoclonal antibodies (like Herceptin) are large molecules that attach to specific proteins on the outside of cancer cells and do not have a convenient way of getting access to a large majority of the targeted cells on the inside, which are protected from the drug. Plus, there is multicellular resistance, the drugs affecting only the cells on the outside may not kill these cells if they are in contact with cells on the inside. The cells may pass small molecules back and forth. This would be a very good reason Tykerb may be much better than Herceptin.
Tykerb was one of the first oral agents with the potential to compete directly with the IV drugs which is both a high-volume and high-revenue part of office-based practices. Although oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors, like Tykerb, offer patients a well-tolerated, conveniently administered alternative to intravenous (IV) therapy, Decisions Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, found that oncologists were not yet ready to use Tykerb as a replacement for Herceptin. Ninety-one percent of surveyed oncologists stated that intravenous (IV) cancer therapies are more profitable than oral therapies. And fifty-eight percent of oncologists said they would favor IV Herceptin over oral Tykerb because administration of IV drugs remains an important source of income for their practices.
Greg
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