With the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and most provisions due to take effect in 2014, it’s reasonable to ask what MD Anderson is doing to prepare.
Fall 2013 : Understanding epigenetics to develop new therapies
Epigenetic-based cancer therapies
FDA approved epigenetic-based therapies: Vorinostat (Zolinza) and romidepsin (Istodax) inhibit histone deacetylases, while azacitidine (Vidaza) and decitabine (Dacogen) inhibit DNA methyltransferases — all effective treatments for blood cancers.. Photo: Wyatt McSpadden
Hagop Kantarjian, M.D., professor and chair of Leukemia and co-leader of the Leukemia Moon Shot, is leading a clinical trial to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a DNA hypomethylating agent, developed by Astex Pharmaceuticals, in patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukemia.
Currently, there are four available anti-cancer drugs on the market that target two classes of epigenetic regulators (see photo above). A number of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies continue to expand their programs surrounding the development of epigenetic-based therapies. In fact, the next generation of epigenetic cancer drugs promises to be tailored to specific patient populations, based on biomarkers and diagnostic tests.
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