A new immunotherapy drug is currently being tested on 300 British patients. The new treatment has already been used for several other types of malignant tumour, but it is hoped that it will be an effective treatment for the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, by harnessing the body’s own immune system in order to combat it.
The drug, called nivolumab, is reportedly effective in treating melanoma and kidney cancer. The treatment works by blocking the PD-1 protein on the surface of T-cells, which allows cells of the immune system to be activated and subsequently, hunt down and kill cancer cells.
Professor Gareth Giffiths of the University of Southampton has said “The UK has one of the world’s highest incidences of mesothelioma and currently there aren’t many ways to treat it. Boosting the immune system by releasing killer T-cells that have previously been blocked could offer us a new way to treat more patients with this devastating disease.”
As an immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, boosts the natural defences of the human body that enables it to fight cancer. Health Canada has recently approved nivolumab for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in adults.
At Asbestos Justice we have experienced clients undergoing trials for a variety of treatment types and are encouraged to see that continued efforts are being made to find a cure for this devastating asbestos related disease.
If you require assistance in pursuing an asbestos compensation claim for mesothelioma or other asbestos disease then please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.
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