Another potentially life saving drug that was tested at San Antonio's START Center for Cancer Care has been approved by the FDA for use in treating liver cancer, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
It is the first time in nearly a decade that the FDA has approved a new drug to treat liver cancer, which is one of the most common, and most deadly, types of cancers.
START Clinical Director Dr. Anthony Tolcher says getting a powerful new anti cancer drug to the market is a long and challenging process.
"This actually was one of the first drugs that went into clinical trials with us, close to ten years ago," Tolcher said.
The drug will be sold under the trade name Stivarga. It will be marketed by Bayer.
Dr. Tolcher says before any new cancer drug can be prescribed, it has to undergo a rigorous, peer reviewed testing regimen.
"That's where we try to find the safety of the drug, and find the right dosing," he said. "We also try to find out if the drug is actually working, and if it is actually controlling the cancer."
START successfully tested the melanoma drug Keytruda, which is known for causing a remission in former President Jimmy Carter's skin cancer
.Dr. Tolcher says Phase One drug trials bring together the scientific community, and attract patients who are searing for a cure where other remedies have failed, and they are a major boost to the local biomedical industry.
"It's good for San Antonio, its good for the patients in San Antonio, because they have access to world class medications."
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