Developing medications for a rare kind of cancer called soft tissue sarcoma has been difficult for professionals owing to its multiple subtypes. Now, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved of a drug namely Votrient for the treatment of patients suffering from advanced soft tissue sarcoma who have initially experienced chemotherapy.
Basically, this tablet blocks the process of angiogenesis that fuels tumor growth. A clinical trial comprising approximately 369 patients of the disease who had undergone chemotherapy previously, was conducted. Almost 20 subtypes of the condition were examined in the analysis. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume Votrient or a placebo.
As per the outcomes, patients on the aforesaid drug survived for 4.6 months on an average relative to 1.6 months seen in the control group. This survival rate was progression-free which means the disease did not advance in the body. Some of the side-effects seen were weight loss, diarrhea, tiredness, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, low perception of taste, breathlessness, headache, decreased appetite, skin discoloration, tumor, hair color changes and high blood pressure.
Notably, the pill is not approved for those affected by gastrointestinal stromal tumors and adipocytic soft tissue sarcoma. A warning pertaining to liver damage is mentioned on the label. Liver function ought to be checked and the treatment should be discontinued in case of complications.
Presently, the medication has been allotted the status of an orphan drug considering it inflicts not more than 200,000 individuals. It was approved back in 2009 for treating advanced kidney cancer. Votrient is sold commercially by GlaxoSmithKline.
