The Ministry of health has registered a drug for the treatment of several types of cancer

The Ministry of Health of Russia registered the drug "Nimolantsim" with the international non-proprietary name nimotuzumab for the treatment of a number of oncological diseases. This is reported by TASS with reference to the press service of the department.

The drug is intended for patients older than 18 years with tumors of the esophagus, head and neck, as well as certain types of malignant brain tumors. The Ministry noted that its registration expands the possibilities of using targeted therapy in Russian oncological practice.

The clinical efficacy of nimotuzumab was studied in international studies of phases II-III. According to the Ministry of Health, the use of the drug in combination with standard antitumor therapy showed a statistically significant improvement in a number of effectiveness indicators. Specific indicators and the magnitude of improvement in the report did not lead.

Nimotuzumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is involved in the regulation of cell growth and division. The effect on this receptor is one of the approaches to targeted therapy of malignant neoplasms, the department explained.

Earlier, on July 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the number of new cancer cases in the world by 2050 could rise to almost 35 million. At the same time, about 20.6 million cases of cancer are detected annually - almost 10 million people die from them.

Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the world after cardiovascular disease.