WONDER DRUG ALIMTA
120 lung cancer patients to receive newly approved medical treatment

The North of England Cancer Drug Approvals Group clears the use of Alimta, a promising, new lung cancer fighting treatment to extend patients’ lives

January 16, 2009 - Asbestos sufferer Arthur Tiffin, 53, of North Walbottle in the U.K., who died of mesothelioma in June 2007, captured the hearts of the region with his tireless campaigning for a new cancer-fighting drug called Alimta.

His pioneering treatment (a combination of two drugs, Alimta and Cisplatin) gave Mr. Tiffin an extra two years to live, during which he attended his son’s wedding and saw the birth of his two grandchildren.

Now, more than 120 lung cancer sufferers in the U.K. have been approved to receive a similar treatment that combines the traditional chemotherapy drug Cisplatin with new ingredient Alimta for asbestos exposure.

“This particular combination for people with non-small cell lung cancer will provide a great choice of treatments for cancer specialists and patients, and is being made available ahead of national guidance,” said Moira Davison, director of the North of England and North Cumbria Cancer Network.

About Alimta

Doctors administer Alimta intravenously, and Alimta side effects are acceptable when its benefits are considered. In the United States, the Alimta-Cisplatin treatment has already been approved by the FDA for treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Eli Lilly & Co. markets the drug in the U.S.

At least 40 percent of patients treated with the new drug therapy combination of Alimta and Cisplatin showed a significant shrinkage in tumors and 70 percent registered an improvement.

Alimta is the only treatment for mesothelioma, the most deadly of asbestos-related lung cancers. The drug was developed by Newcastle University’s Prof. Hilary Calvert and has been used to help increase the life-expectancy of victims, many of whom suffered asbestos exposure during their working life.

The truth about asbestos

Despite the potentially fatal health consequences associated with asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States for its insulation properties. The United States imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

Time to seek justice!

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and seek FREE legal guidance and answers to your concerns, please notify us through the communication form below. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, future and past lost wages, and damages. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.