Pemetrexed-cisplatin combination in mesothelioma.

Title
Pemetrexed-cisplatin combination in mesothelioma.

Source
Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy. 5(2):231-7, 2005 Apr.

Despite the desperate struggle for improvement in the therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma in previous decades, no standard therapy could be established. Pemetrexed (Alimta), a new multitargeted antifolate, showed significant antitumor activity in combination with cisplatin compared with cisplatin alone in patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma.

Furthermore, this improved efficacy was transformed into a significant symptomatic benefit. These data led to the approval of the drug by the US Food and Drug Administration and recently by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for this combination in malignant pleural mesothelioma, and consequently founded the first standard of treatment in this disease.