At this week’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting, world-renowned mesothelioma expert Dr. Michele Carbone announced that ONCONASE, manufactured by Alfacell Corporation, may have potential as a chemo-preventative agent for mesothelioma. A chemo-preventative agent is one that can be used in high-risk patients to prevent the onset of mesothelioma.

A recent press release on PharmaLive notes that Dr. Carbone presented data that show the early detection in patients at high risk for developing malignant mesothelioma is becoming more prevalent via the presence of certain biological markers in blood samples. If clinically validated, he added, physicians may be able to use ONCONASE as a chemo-preventive agent to “potentially prevent the onset of mesothelioma, or reduce the doses of cytotoxic agents needed in those patients who develop the disease.”

“The potential of ONCONASE as an early first-line preventative treatment for mesothelioma is an exciting development that we plan to investigate through clinical trials,” said Dr. Carbone. “With approximately more than 25 million asbestos exposure cases reported worldwide, we believe that ONCONASE might play a greater role in the treatment protocols for a much larger population than was originally envisioned for this dismal disease.”

Kuslima Shogen, Alfacell’s chairman and chief executive officer, added: “Dr. Carbone is recognized as one of the world’s leading researchers in mesothelioma. His remarks about ONCONASE at the AACR Annual Meeting reflect the interest of the international medical community in expanding the potential uses of ONCONASE.”

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