Hepatologists at the University of Florida have begun a new clinical trial in search of a better way to treat patients who have advanced, inoperable primary liver cancer but have trouble tolerating standard doses of the only drug available to help them.
Funded through a $650,000 grant from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., the makers and marketers of Sorafenib — the only FDA-approved drug for advanced liver cancer — the six-month, randomized pilot study will evaluate whether patients with a dual diagnosis of cirrhosis and liver cancer are better able to tolerate the drug if given doses that differ from the manufacturer’s recommendation.