A new drug that will directly compete with Xtandi (enzalutamide) is probably going to appear on the market in the next few years. The drug, Apalutimide (aka ARN-509 and JNJ-56021927), like Xtandi, is an AR antagonist that interferes with the prostate cancer cells ability to utilize androgens produced by a man’s body.
Its mode of action is to block the androgen receptor on the cancer cell from being able to utilize androgens, like testosterone. This mode of action is similar to that utilized by Xtandi.
Janssen Research and Development, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and Aragon Pharmaceuticals now owns the investigational treatment, Apalutimide. Apalutimide is still in phase III clinical trials (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02489318) and is still recruiting subjects. To participate in the trial, you must have at least one bone lesion. To find out more about the trial and to participate in it send an email toJNJ.Ct@sylogent.com.
Janssen also owns the drug Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) that currently competes with Xtandi despite the two different drugs having a different mode of action. Zytiga halts the production of the androgens while Xtandi blocks the androgens from “feeding” the cancer cells.
If this drug is approved, which Cancer ABCs hopes will happen, it will directly compete with Xtandi. Competition has a habit of driving down prices that would, in this case, benefit all of us who have advanced, metastatic prostate cancer.
Cancer ABCs hopes that the data from Apalutimide matures quickly and that we see Janssen and Aragon bring it for approval to the various governmental agencies quickly. We will closely follow the news about Apalutimide and keep you in the loop as things unfold.
Joel T. Nowak, MA, MSW wrote this Post. Joel is the CEO/Executive Director of Cancer ABCs. He is a Cancer Thriver diagnosed with 5 primary cancers - Thyroid, Metastatic Prostate, Renal, Melanoma and a rare cancer, Appendiceal Cancer.
