Mainland Chinese drug effective in treating 3 cancer types: Hong Kong-led study

A new drug developed by a mainland Chinese biotechnology company is effective in combating three types of cancer that currently have limited treatment options, a multinational study led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has found.

University researchers said on Monday that the novel drug, D3S-001, can treat non-small-cell lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers triggered by the gene mutation KRAS-G12C.

The drug is said to be a “next-generation” inhibitor for the gene mutation, which can currently only be treated using a limited number of therapeutic options.

“It does inhibit KRAS-G12C at a quicker rate and most likely at a longer duration as well [compared with a first-generation inhibitor],” said Dr Herbert Loong Ho-fung, an associate professor at CU Medicine’s clinical oncology department.

“This is demonstrated in the laboratory and certainly in our clinical trials. We’re also seeing signals of this in our patients.”

Loong said phase one of the drug’s clinical trial found that 70 per cent of the 42 participating patients who received the inhibitor for the first time saw a significant shrinkage or disappearance of their tumours.