Anti-fungal drug shows promise as new Cancer Treatment

A common anti-fungal treatment has joined the ranks of drugs that may be suitable for use in treating cancer, according to research from the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) project.
The ReDO project is an international collaboration of anticancer researchers dedicated to promoting the cause of common medicines which may represent an untapped source of novel therapies for cancer. Itraconazole is a drug used to treat a broad range of fungal infections, including skin and nail infections. It also has a lot of potential as a new cancer treatment, according to the ReDo project.
"Itraconazole shows potential in a number of areas with high unmet patient needs, particularly in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and possibly in some rarer malignancies," says Pan Pantziarka, PhD, member of the ReDO project and the Anticancer Fund. "That there are a number of clinical trials on-going in a range of different cancers is an encouraging start."
Itraconazole, a generic agent that costs relatively little, shows some evidence of efficacy in metastatic Prostate Cancer, which would make it an attractive proposition given the high costs associated with cancer treatments such as arbiraterone, Pantziarka notes.
This could make itraconazole an attractive cancer treatment, not only in low and middle income countries, but also in over-stretched health systems such as the NHS.