A new six-month dosing option (22.5 mg) dosage of Trelstar (triptorelin pamoate), a drug indicated for the palliative treatment of hormone dependent advanced prostate cancer, is now available in Canada.
This smaller dosage allows patients to receive fewer injections but still provides long-term testosterone suppression, according to a 12-month, multicenter, open-label, Phase 3 clinical study, that evaluated the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety of 2 injections of 6-month TRELSTAR 22.5 mg formulation in 120 patients with advanced prostate cancer
In Canada, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with about 23,600 new cases diagnosed every year.
Triptorelin was first discovered in the 70’s by Nobel Prize winner Professor Andrew Schally, and is an agonist of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), reducing the level of testosterone, thus helping in slowing the development of prostate cancer while diminishing bone pain, urinary problems and other types of symptoms associated with this type of cancer.
Trelstar, developed and manufactured by Actavis Specialty Pharmaceuticals Co. and Debiopharm Group™, has been approved as a one and three-month formulations in several countries, and as a six-month dosage in the US, Europe and in Singapore.
“In patients with advanced prostate cancer, we seek treatment options that will have the most benefit in terms of quality of life and survival. Six-month Trelstar offers improved quality of life for patients – the requirement for half as many needles and clinic visits makes a difference,” Dr. Laurence Klotz, Chief, Urology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, said in a Debiopharm press release.
“We are committed to developing treatments that make a difference to patients, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and a challenging illness. We are pleased to announce the new dosing option for Trelstar and to welcome a trusted brand back to the Actavis family,” Rob Tessarolo, General Manager, Actavis Specialty Pharmaceuticals Co. added in the press release.