On the warpath

FINDING a cure for cancer has been
unending drive for many a drug fil
for years now. But the UK-based Brit
Biotech company seems poised to lea
the others far behind with its flagst
anticancer drug, Marimastat showi
positive results in trial tests. Such is t
euphoria surrounding its new drug 0
shares of the company have jumping
from us $16 to us $24.

The drug repulses the action of t
enzymes - meta I loprotei nases
secreted by tumour cells. The enzyme
are thus rendered inactive which tam
the aggressive tumour. Tests on
patients who took the oral drug in
tablet form for 28 days, revealed th
the progression of rectal, ovarian, pr
static and pancreatic cancers in on
third of patients was curtailed sharply.

Another point in the drug's favour
is that while it acts on the enzymes,
leaves the healthy cells alone unlike tl
other drugs which wipe out all other
cells like the bonemarrow cells. It with
however, take more stringent ar
exacting tests over a period of three to four years before the drug would I
made available in the market.