Scotia's EF14 Shows Promise In Cancer

Scotia Pharmaceuticals' EF13 (lithium gammalinolenate) has shown itself to be effective in the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer, according to data from a Phase III clinical trial. A total of 250 patients have now received the drug for the treatment of cancer in Phase I, II and III trials, and 170 of them had pancreatic cancer. The other patients have been involved in Phase I studies of EF13 in a variety of solid tumors.

In the Phase III trial, 110 pancreatic cancer patients will be randomized to receive either low-dose oral (10g), intermediate-dose intravenous (30g) or high-dose intravenous (90g) EF13. The results to date, after 40 deaths, have revealed that all three treatment groups have increased survival compared to data from historical trials. Differences between the groups are beginning to emerge, with the longest survival in the intravenous groups, but are not yet statistically significant. The trial will continue until the best of the three treatments has been clearly demonstrated.

Comparison With Other Therapies Furthermore, a trial comparing EF13 to intensive chemotherapy or palliative treatment in pancreatic cancer patients (British Journal of Surgery, 1994; 81: 882-885) found that EF13 was as good as intensive therapy overall, and superior in the high-dose group (see table below).