On the warpath

 
Published: Sunday 31 December 1995

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.

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