Alimta, the first drug developed for maintenance therapy of metastatic lung cancer has been approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Lung Cancer patients, who are on remission after chemotherapy treatment, undergo maintenance therapy to prevent the disease from reviving and spreading. This happens when the cancer cells multiplies in the body. The new drug, Alimta, interfere in the metabolic process dependent on B-vitamin folate for cell reproduction.
Richard Pazdur, M.D., Director, Office of Oncology Drug Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research asserts that the drug, Alimta, is a breakthrough in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. He explains its benefits thus – “Typically, patients whose tumors respond to chemotherapy do not receive further treatment after four-to-six chemotherapy cycles. This study demonstrates an advantage in overall survival in certain patients who received Alimta for maintenance therapy.”
There are various forms of non-small cell lung cancer. They include large cell, squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and mixed histology cancers. Lung cancer patients with squamous cell type are found not to respond to Alimta. However, other subtypes of lung cancer mentioned above, responded well to Alimta treatment. They were found to survive 15.5 months after the treatment while the placebo patients survived just 10.3 months. This was recorded in a study of 600 patients, all of whom received standard health care.

The side effects of the drug include fatigue, nausea, appetite-loss, blood cell damage, skin rash and loss of sensation in the limbs.

Alimta, manufactured by Eli Lilly & Co. of Indianapolis, received initial approval for treatment of mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure. It was since approved for use in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. It is used both in the initial therapy as well as for preventing spread of the disease after chemotherapy.
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