Medco's ATP Improves Cancer Prognosis

Administration of adenosine triphosphate in patients with non-small lung cancer arrests tumor growth in 53% of cases and causes a measurable reduction in tumor size in 20% of those taking the drug, according to the results of a Phase II trial carried out by researchers at Medco Research.

"We are very excited by the results obtained," said Cesare Orlandi, executive director of research and development at Medco. "Data from the multicenter clinical trial have shown that intravenous infusion of ATP has biomodulatory effects that result in weight gain [and] improvement in performance status and quality of life," he added.

The drug's side-effect profile too was positive. The only negative aspect of taking ATP amounted to short-lived cardiopulmonary events, according to the company. None of the devastating side-effects of conventional therapy were observed, said Charles Haskell of the Wadsworth Cancer Center, USA.