Promising Results of PSMA Therapeutic Trial Released at ASCO
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been at the forefront of discovery in prostate cancer. This is a protein that is overexpressed on prostate cancer cells, and is being developed to both look for prostate cancer cells throughout the body and to use as a target to deliver treatment.
During this weekend’s 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program Annual Meeting, PCF-funded researcher Professor Michael Hofman, MBBS, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia presented promising results of the TheraP trial, a Phase 2 trial of PSMA therapy in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) whose cancer progressed on docetaxel. This is the first randomized trial to compare Lu-PSMA (a small molecule that targets PSMA, bound to the therapeutic radioactive compound Lu-177) to another active therapy.
200 patients were randomized to treatment with Lu-PSMA or with cabazitaxel. The researchers measured how many men in each group experienced a drop in PSA of at least 50% from baseline (“PSA response”). The results were impressive: 66% of patients on Lu-PSMA had a PSA response, compared to 37% of patients on cabazitaxel. This significant 29% percent difference was also accompanied by a lower frequency of Grade 3 or 4 adverse events in the Lu-PSMA group. These results suggest that Lu-PSMA may be a viable, safe option for men with mCRPC progressing after docetaxel.
PCF has been a leader in funding early work and clinical testing of PSMA imaging and therapeutics. We’ll be back next week with more on the TheraP trial and other exciting developments from ASCO!