A TEAM OF CHUM RESEARCHERS PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY TO DEVELOP A NEW THERAPY
MONTREAL, March 21, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Dr. André Lacroix, an endocrinologist at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), announced today the results of an international study on Cushing's disease. In collaboration with 70 researchers from 18 different countries, Dr. Lacroix announced the development of a new treatment for Cushing's disease using the drug pasireotide.
Developed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, this new drug acts on the tumours responsible for the disease. These tumours, which form on the pituitary gland, lead to the production of abnormally high levels of cortisone by the adrenal glands and to serious consequences. In all, 162 patients, including four from Quebec, were treated during the 12-month study, during which they received twice-daily subcutaneous injections of pasireotide. The results were published on March 8, 2012 in the prestigious journal The New England Journal of Medicine.
The four Quebec patients in the study have been treated at the CHUM for the past four years by Dr. Lacroix and his team. They all displayed marked improvement in their condition. Two patients experienced a complete regression of all symptoms and signs of Cushing's disease.
"This study is very promising, especially for patients for whom complete surgical removal of tumours, the standard treatment for this disease, was not possible or in whom the disease recurred after surgery," notes Dr. Lacroix. "Until recently, there were no drugs that acted directly on the pituitary tumour to block tumour growth, to decrease the production of corticotropin and to normalize the production of cortisone by the adrenal glands."
Cushing's disease
Cushing's disease is a rare disease affecting women in particular. Approximately 40-80 people per million are affected. The high production of cortisone induced by the tumours leads to increasingly severe consequences including: central obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes, sleep, concentration and mood disorders, and increased cardiovascular disease and mortality if untreated.
Complete resection of the pituitary tumour by a neurosurgeon is the preferred treatment for this disease. Initial surgery is successful in 70-90% of cases and leads to remission of the disease. However, during follow-up, it reappears in up to 30% of cases. Eventually, 40-50% of patients require another form of treatment: a second pituitary surgery, radiotherapy or surgical resection of both adrenal glands, all of which are associated either with partial success and significant side effects.
The CHUM: a centre of expertise in pituitary-adrenal disorders
Expert teams in clinical services of endocrinology, neurosurgery, radiology, radiation oncology and at the CHUM's Research Center (CRCHUM) have a long history of significant contributions to the study of and innovative medical, surgical and radiation therapy for pituitary tumours.
Dr. Jules Hardy was the first to perform selective microsurgery to remove pituitary tumours. Dr. Michel Gagner was the first in world to perform laparoscopic adrenalectomies. More recently, Dr. Lacoix's team identified new molecular mechanisms and treatments for adrenal tumours that may also be responsible for Cushing's syndrome.
Dr. Lacroix's team has also demonstrated that cabergoline, a drug that targets a different receptor in pituitary tumours characteristic of Cushing's disease, could lead to a long-term normalization of cortisol levels in these patients. Preliminary studies suggest that the combination of pasireotide and cabergoline in the future could offer a targeted medical therapy even more effective in a larger number of patients with the disease.
About the CRCHUM: www.crchum.qc.ca
About the CHUM
The Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) is the largest francophone teaching hospital in North America. Known for excellent care and the expertise of its specialists, every year it welcomes more than half a million patients not only from the greater Montreal region but also the entire province of Quebec. The essence of its mission is the application of innovative approaches to healthcare, the search for new knowledge, the promotion of health and the transfer of knowledge. Boasting a rich history, the CHUM is looking to the future with the ongoing construction of new facilities and its research centre in downtown Montreal, a comprehensive project on a single site valued at nearly $2.5 billion. The CHUM Research Centre will open its doors in 2013. It will be followed in 2016 by the unveiling of the new CHUM, a world-class teaching hospital in tune with its community where it plays a major role, in a socially aware perspective of sustainable development and concerted urban approach. It is also an active member of the Réseau universitaire intégré de santé (RUIS) de l'Université de Montréal. chumontreal.com
| Attachment: | Dr A. Lacroix's biography; Dr A. Lacroix Cushing disease presentation; Contributions of CHUM Teams; Article New England Journal of Medecine; Appendix New England Journal of Medecine |
| Media Access: | ftp://ftp.national.ca/medias/Centre_hospitalier_CHUM/ Username: presse Password: media |
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