The Associated Press: Push to spur more drugs for deadly rare diseases

"There are treatments for just 200 of the roughly 7,000 rare diseases, illnesses that affect fewer than 200,000 people, often far, far fewer. Yet add those diseases together, and more than 20 million Americans have one." "A new International Rare Diseases Research Consortium is pushing for at least 200 more treatments by 2020, in part by pooling the work of far-flung scientists and families. Rather than starting from scratch, the Food and Drug Administration is pointing the way for manufacturers to "repurpose" old drugs for new use against rare diseases, publishing a list of those deemed particularly promising."

medical news: New Class of Cancer Drugs Could Work in Colon Cancers with Genetic Mutation (PARP inhibitors/MRE11 gene/Lynch Synrome))

15% of colorectal cancers have mutation that responds to PARP inhibitors

Newswise — ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A class of drugs that shows promise in breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA gene mutations could potentially benefit colorectal cancer patients with a different genetic mutation, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.

Working in cell lines from colorectal cancer patients, researchers found that a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors worked against tumors with mutations in the MRE11 gene.

ongoing: Safety/Efficacy Study of a Drug to Reduce Thrombocytopenia in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Ovarian, FT or PC (Angiotensin 1-7)

Study of ABT-767 in Subjects With Breast Cancer 1 and Breast Cancer 2 (BRCA 1 and BRCA 2) Mutations and Solid Tumors or High Grade Serous Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Note: not yet recruiting

Estimated Enrollment:	50
Study Start Date:	April 2011
Estimated Study Completion Date:	March 2013

April 2011 index: Journal of Geriatric Oncology - Current Issue

example (abstract):

Volume 2, Issue 2, Pages 99-104 (April 2011)
Clinical aspects of the management of elderly women diagnosed with gynecologic malignancies: Treatment decisions and choices
The number of elderly women diagnosed with gynecologic cancer is increasing. This paper reviews the current trends in the management of elderly gynecologic cancer patients. Our goal is to identify critical issues that must be weighed when selecting treatment for elderly gynecologic oncology patients. As individuals continue to achieve longer lifespans, and the population of elderly women continues to grow, gynecologic oncologists will face new challenges regarding treatment. Due to minimal inclusion in randomized controlled trials and the influence of selection bias in many of the current studies, little evidence-based data is available regarding the most effective treatment options for this population. It is therefore unclear whether treatment should differ from that offered to younger populations, and if so under what circumstances. As of yet, there are no validated measures by which to determine tolerability and success of aggressive therapies for this population. Ultimately, each patient must be evaluated individually with regards to risk factors and prognosis, and therapy should not be withheld from elderly individuals solely on the basis of age alone.