Back in 2018, research was presented at the ASCO annual meeting showing that a new drug Erdafitinib appeared to be both safe and effective; Erdafitinib is an oral FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
FGFR stands for Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor and there are four such receptors. The gene is responsible for healthy cell processes such as cellular growth regulation, wound healing and embryo development, but in cancer it can help blood supplies for to the tumour and when upregulated, increase cell division and cancer cell survival.
The FDA granted approval in March 2018 having ‘fast-tracked’ the drug.
Gene alterations in FGFR occur in approximately 10-20% of metastatic bladder cancers, especially in patients with luminal 1 urothelial carcinoma.
Now, it seems, FGFR plays a role in approximately 3% of brain tumours. The drug is currently in trials in the USA and UK, and so far the results seem promising. The dosage is not clear as yet, with higher doses seemingly giving no increased tumour effect, but more side-effects.
The drug has the brand name Balversa and it is approved for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial bladder cancer (1).
Go to: Bladder cancer – symptoms, causes and treatment alternatives
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Reference
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31340094/