Antibodies For Rare Joint Cancer

The OncoTherapy Science Inc. has developed an anti-cancer antibody medicine. OncoTherapy Science Inc., located at the city of Kawasaki in the Kanagawa prefecture, announced Oct. 17 that it will start the world’s first clinical trial in France of patients with synovial sarcoma. 

 
Synovial sarcoma is a rare form of cancer that usually occurs near the joints of the arm or leg. This aggressive cancer tends to develop in children and young adults, representing about 8% of all soft tissue sarcomas but about 15-20% of cases in adolescents and young adults. The peak of incidences is before the 30th birthday and males are affected more often than females (ratio around 1.2:1).

“Synovial sarcoma is a rare cancer, but one that is highly lethal,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfield, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

Initially the trials were supposed to take place in Japan, but the company could not secure funds from the government to begin a clinical test in the country, so France invited Japan to conduct the trials there.

Yasuke Nakamura, a professor at Tokyo University and chief of the Medical Innovation Cabinet, developed the antibody drug. He discovered a protein and radioactive element that attack the sarcoma when linked together.