A new drug that suppresses the recurrence of "neuroblastoma," one of the difficult-to-treat childhood cancers, has been approved for the first time in Japan and will be put into practical use from the 22nd.
"Neuroblastoma" is a childhood cancer that affects about 160 children every year and is difficult to treat due to repeated recurrence. Metastases are found in about 60% of them, and it is said that less than half of the children can survive for 5 years. ..
A drug called "anti-GD2 antibody" that suppresses the recurrence of this cancer will be put into practical use today, and it was approved for the first time as a result of clinical trials conducted in Japan by groups such as the Osaka City General Hospital from 2013. I did.
In clinical trials, 80% of patients did not relapse for at least two years after the drug was given.
This drug was approved in the United States five years ago and is already widely used as a standard treatment, but it has been pointed out that the development of the drug has not progressed due to the small number of patients in Japan.
Reina Eda, whose 9-year-old daughter suffers from neuroblastoma, said, "I was looking forward to its practical application. With this drug, I can live without recurrence without any treatment that puts a strain on my body. On the other hand, some children died while waiting for the drug, so I wanted them to be developed in Japan sooner. "
Junichi Hara, Deputy Director of the Osaka City General Hospital, who conducted the clinical trial, said, "For children with neuroblastoma, the desired drug will be put into practical use and the survival rate will be greatly improved. Japan has no law requiring the development of pediatric drugs. , It is necessary to improve the system like in Europe and the United States. "