Is called NGR-hTNF and it is a molecule that steals nourishment from tumors by attacking the blood vessels that feed them. In particular, the new therapeutic agent can increase the survival of patients with pleural mesothelioma (a tumor typically associated with exposure to asbestos fibres) for whom chemotherapy has proved ineffective. This is what emerges from a phase III study which compared the new molecule with the best available therapeutic option. The results were anticipated by the company that developed the product, MolMed, the only 100% Italian biotech listed on Piazza Affari.
"For the first time, in fact, a highly significant clinical benefit has been obtained in a relevant subpopulation with a poorer prognosis, represented by patients who are refractory or with rapid progression after first-line treatment", commented the president and CEO of MolMed, Claudio Bordeaux.
While it did not increase overall survival for all 400 patients who participated in the study, the new product was effective in patients with the worst prognosis (those whose cancer had begun to advance during or shortly after chemotherapy), increasing in this specific group of patients overall survival of 40%.
At the beginning of the afternoon, MolMed's share on the Stock Exchange hovered around parity.
