Items of Interest

UH To Test Brain Cancer Drug

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $800,000 to University Hospitals Case Medical Center to test a drug that targets stem cells of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer. Funded though the NIH’s 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus package, the multicenter, national study is coordinated through the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium. The trial will enroll 40 patients nationwide. Half will receive the drug prior to surgery. Following surgical removal of the brain tumor, all the patients will receive the drug. Enrollment at UH is expected to open later this year. For information: 1-800-641-2422.

Posted with permission of The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland.com

FDA Panel Supports Avastin For Brain Cancer

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Federal cancer experts say preliminary studies of a blockbuster Genentech drug are strong enough to speed up its approval for patients with a deadly form of brain cancer.The company has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve its blockbuster drug Avastin to treat the most dangerous kind of brain tumor. The drug is already approved for patients with lung, breast and colon cancer.

The FDA’s panel of outside cancer experts unanimously said preliminary results in brain cancer patients warrant accelerated approval for the drug. That designation gives market access based on promising early results.

FDA is not required to follow the advice of its panel, though it often does.

South San Francisco-based Genentech is now owned by Swiss drugmaker Roche.

© 2009 The Associated Press.

Additional Resources

RevolutionHealth.com

PartnershipForPrescriptionAssistance

FamilyReachFoundation

Co-PayRelief

AmericanCancerSociety

CancerCare (CancerCare’s Financial Assistance and Co-Payment Assistance Foundation )

CancerFundOfAmerica

NationalBrainTumorFoundation

MichaelQuinlanBrainTumorFoundation ( Kentucky residents only)

TheNationalChildren’sCancerSociety (for patients 18 years old or younger)

AssociationOfJewishFamily&Children’sAgencies

BrendaMehlingCancerFund

http://www.friendsofman.org/

HopeCancerFund

NetWish

NoWoodenNickels

RiseAboveIt

TheSalvationArmy

TheSAMFund

Friends4Michael (for patients 18 years old or younger)

FoundationForChildrenWithCancer (help for families, who have children with cancer)

http://www.cleaningforareason.org/ (free professional housecleaning services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer)

ImermanAngels

http://healthwellfoundation.org/

WithoutLimitz