The recent discovery of a selective MMP7 inhibitor represents a promising advancement in cancer treatment. MMP7, an enzyme involved in the breakdown of the extracellular matrix, is often overexpressed in aggressive cancers, including prostate cancer, facilitating tumor invasion and metastasis.
Very early stage, but consider that till not long ago, this enzyme was considered undruggable.
It is how we build on the knowledge. I have long been an advocate of combination therapy attack on PCa. Despite being a "cold tumor" providing challenges to the use of immunotherapy, the Science continues to find new targets to hit Mr PCa in the nutsack.
Someday, we may find a combo attack that finds a cure or stable disease status, like HIV has become for nearly all HIV patients..
Only question is - will that Science be affordable for those who are not millionaires? Probably Not! The divide between cancer treatment between rich and poor is increasing rapidly. For general public Chemo will stay first line of treatment for long time.
Yes and no. Usually competition creates lower prices, nowadays it's not like 20-30 years ago where pharma was big pharma only (10 companies in the world?). There are thousands of smaller pharma companies now that with a good intuition and a lower amount of money (AlphaFold is open source now for example) can create solutions. Also repurposing is moving forward. I had a financial report in my hands few days ago, only for prostate cancer (all stages) there are 150 companies testing 166 products clinically.
If you ask me (notorious "wannabe-hippie-peace-love") if for one year the countries that spend the most in weapons decided to spend 50% of that budget on research, in 2-3 year we would probably be cancer free and the cost of those drugs would be lower. But that's just my opinion!
Anyway, at the moment you are right in the sense that between the north and the south of the world there is a huge gap in access, and that should be addressed.
I agree with you and my biggest hope is from repurpuposed drugs and AI discovering it. Regarding smaller pharma companies- Big Pharma is not in the business of creating new solutions. Their major job is to acquire high potential smaller companies. Once a smaller company moves to phase 3 then most of the times you will hear that it received acquisition offer. Big pharma lobby is now more powerful than 30 Years back
Yes, but they buy them to carry on the research. We have way more power to hurt big pharma in case they delay a promising drug to make more money with the ones already in use. And also big pharma is not 10 companies anymore.
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