Trial of RF Ablation Plus Drug for Liver Cancer

A phase 2 study is evaluating the effectiveness of an immune system enhancer in combination with radio frequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC accounts for more than 80% of all primary liver tumors and is one of the most prevalent malignancies in the world.

RFA destroys tumors by radio waves delivered via a probe-bearing needle, and is increasingly used to treat primary liver cancer as an alternative to surgical resection or localized chemotherapy. The goal of the current trial is to learn whether the immune system enhancer, Zadaxin, may contribute to the effectiveness of tumor therapy with RFA. Zadaxin is a synthetic peptide that has been used for the treatment of hepatitis B and C. The drug is the product of SciClone Pharmaceuticals (San Mateo, CA, USA).

"We have seen early indications of Zadaxin's effect in combination therapies for other types of cancer such as malignant melanoma, for which trials have recently begun in Australia,” noted Alfred R. Rudolph, M.D., COO of SciClone.


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