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another drug approved (?off-label use) for those running out of options
On May 31, the FDA granted orphan drug designation to axitinib (Pfizer, Inc) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, a disease expected to cause death in 33,370 Americans this year.
Although prognosis is improved with early diagnosis of the disease, pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect for a variety of reasons, including the lack of noticeable signs and symptoms until later stages when the cancer may become inoperable or metastasizes.
Axitinib works by selectively inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR) 1, 2, and 3, which is thought in turn to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. This starves the tumor of a new blood supply and induces tumor regression.
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