Fight against cancer goes on
Cell Pathways Inc, a tiny US company based in Pennsylvania, recently claimed that it is conducting human trials of a novel drug that can prevent and treat cancer by forcing tumour cells to commit suicide. The company also said that it will soon receive European and US patents for its drug, Prevatac, which it is currently testing to prevent a rare form of colon cancer that is inherited. Colon cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths in the US. The company is hopeful that drug might also be useful against the more common forms of cancer. The nine-year-old and rather obscure pharmaceutical company is also testing the drug to prevent recurrence of prostate and breast cancers, said a spokesperson for the company.