- Clinical trial of dostarlimab cured 18 patients in the US of colorectal cancer
- One researcher said that it was the ‘first time this has happened’ in a cancer trial
- It is still too early to declare the drug a cancer cure because the trial was small
- Doctors are expanding trial for gastric, prostate and pancreatic cancer patients
A womb cancer drug has shocked experts with how effective it is against colorectal tumours, after it seemingly cured every patient in a trial.
The antibody therapy Dostarlimab, already approved for women in the UK, smashed expectations in a study at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
All 18 colorectal cancer patients involved in the trial were still in remission one year after it finished, with no signs of tumour reformation.
Researchers said there were ‘a lot of happy tears’ among the participants. All 18 had been unsuccessfully treated with traditional therapies before signing up to the study.
While the trial was small, it sets up Dostarlimab as a potential cure for one of the most deadly common cancers.
Dr Luis Diaz, one of the lead researchers of the trial, said: ‘I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer. It’s really exciting. I think this is a great step forward for patients.’