The monoclonal antibody IMC-C225 plus Camptosar improves survival for patients with colorectal cancer who have failed standard therapies, according to recent results presented at the 37 th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Colorectal cancer refers to cancer that involves both the colon and rectum.
Patients who stop responding to this chemotherapy combination are currently left with few treatment options. EGFR binds exclusively to small proteins circulating in the blood called growth factors. The binding action between EGFR and growth factors stimulates cancer cells to grow and multiply in excess. IMC-C225 is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the binding action between EGFR and growth factors. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that have been manufactured in a laboratory to bind to specific sites on designated cells.