Home / Health / Bowel Cancer Patients Gain 'New Lease of Life' with Novel Therapy
Bowel Cancer Patients Gain 'New Lease of Life' with Novel Therapy
30 May
Summary
- Experimental drug ozekibart combined with chemotherapy shows promise.
- Nearly 90% of patients in a trial saw cancer progression halted.
- One patient regained energy and enjoys life after treatment.
A targeted therapy designed to induce cancer cell death, ozekibart, has shown considerable promise when administered alongside chemotherapy to patients with advanced bowel cancer. Early trial results indicate that this combination therapy led to tumor shrinkage in some individuals and successfully arrested the disease's progression in nearly nine out of ten participants.
The Phase I trial, conducted by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, involved 45 patients who had not responded to previous treatments and were not candidates for surgery. Participants received ozekibart with Folfiri chemotherapy. Notably, 20% of patients experienced tumor shrinkage, and a significant 87% saw their cancer growth stopped.
One patient, Amanda Burgess, who joined the trial in July 2025 after other treatments failed, shared that the new therapy has given her a "new lease of life." She reported significant tumor reductions and stabilization, with no side effects from ozekibart. Her energy has returned, allowing her to resume activities like walking her dogs and playing tennis.
These encouraging results are being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Bowel cancer is a significant health concern in the UK, being the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. The trial is supported by the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.
