Medivation's prostate cancer drug shows promise

San Francisco-based Medivation has garnered a lot of attention for its experimental prostate treatment MDV3100 following an article in Science Express on the drug. MDV3100 was tested in 30 men whose disease was resistant to conventional anti-androgen therapy; 43 percent of them showed "sustained declines" in blood levels of prostate specific antigen, a biomarker of tumor growth. In another study of 114 men, some subjects demonstrated not only reductions in PSA levels, but also a regression in tumor growth. The strong early and mid-stage results have prompted Medivation to launch a Phase III trial of the drug.

MDV3100 is different that current prostate cancer treatments. Standard therapies use "anti-androgens. These drugs shut down hormone production, which prevents those hormones from getting into the cancer-powering cells. But patients can become resistant to anti-androgens. Medivation's treatment blocks the androgen receptor on the tumor cells.

"Publication of the MDV3100 manuscript in Science underscores the promise of this novel investigational drug. The mechanism of action of MDV 3100...suggests that it may have synergistic effects with other drugs targeting different pathways to treat prostate cancer," said David T. Hung, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Medivation. "Given the encouraging results we have seen to date in our Phase 1-2 trial, we are pleased that we are on track to initiate patient enrollment in a Phase 3 trial of MDV3100 this year."

- take a look at Medivation's release
- here's the Forbes report

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