Existing treatments leave room for improvement. The dominant therapy for BCC is some form of surgery. Current treatments are associated with a high rate of tumor clearance but treatment can be painful, may create scarring and destroy some healthy tissue. The newest treatment prepared to enter the market is photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy uses a combination of a topical chemical agent plus a specific light source to activate the chemical.
Internal assessments suggest market acceptance of photodynamic therapy is likely to be limited.
An IRM would provide a high rate of tumor clearance without the limitations of existing therapies. An IRM may also provide protection against new tumors because it may enhance cell mediated immune recognition of new BCCs. IRM Status A pilot study using Aldara was published in the December 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Other Phase II studies are under way in Australia, North America and Europe. A decision to move to Phase III superficial BCC studies was made in July 2000.