9:05am UK, Monday June 02, 2003

A new wonder drug has been developed that can attack several different types of cancers.

Early trial results have shown a "remarkable" effect in patients with advanced breast, prostate, lung, ovarian, colon, pancreas and connective tissue cancers, say scientists.

180 chest x-ray lung cancer

Drug can attack lung cancer

7The experimental drug, known as 2C4, works by targeting a signalling pathway common to many different cancers that stimulates tumour growth.

Scientists are excited because dramatic results were seen in a preliminary phase one trial intended to test the safety of a new drug, not whether it works.

Dr David Agus, who led the trial at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, said: "What's interesting is that this drug effectively shrank tumours in several completely different types of cancer in early stage clinical trials.

"This tells us that the drug targets a growth-signalling pathway in cancer cells that is common in many solid tumours."

Researchers found that in 42% of 21 cancer patients saw their tumours either shrink by up to 50%, or a halt in growth.

Three patients achieved partial remission - one with ovarian cancer, one with prostate cancer and one with pancreatic cancer.