New therapeutic prospects for malignant adrenal gland diseases: the Medical Oncology Unit of the University of Brescia and ASST Spedali Civili participated in a prospective clinical trial conducted in the world's leading centers for this extremely rare disease. The study reports the results of trials of a new drug called BELZUTIFAN, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. The drug works by inhibiting the proteins that cause a condition known as pseudo-hypoxia, whereby the tumor tissue receives sufficient oxygen but reacts as if it were lacking, resulting in the stimulation of proliferation and aggressiveness of the disease.
"Currently available treatments include surgery when possible, radioactive drug therapies, chemotherapy, and drugs that block the formation of new blood vessels by the tumor. However, none of these therapeutic strategies acts directly on the molecules responsible for the development of the disease,- says Prof. Alfredo Berruti, Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Brescia and ASST Spedali Civili and senior author of the study -. BELZUTIFAN has proven to be very effective, which is why it is set to become the drug of choice in the systemic treatment of adrenal and extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma (paraganglioma). The opportunity to offer patients from all over Italy a highly effective drug, well before its commercialization, is a source of great pride for our University and our hospital. We would like to express our gratitude to the many people who participated in this study in various capacities, as well as to the patients and their families".
Malignant adrenal gland disorders are extremely rare, with an incidence of approximately 1 new case per million inhabitants per year. The ASST-Spedali Civili hospital has established the Adrenal Unit, the only one of its kind in Italy, a multidisciplinary unit dedicated to the management of patients with malignant adrenal disorders. The Adrenal Unit in Brescia is the main national reference center for malignant adrenal gland disorders. The ASST-Spedali Civili, together with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (TX), is the center that has enrolled the most patients worldwide.