New approach to ovarian cancer

The School of Medicine has joined in an international study of a new drug, phenoxodiol, that unblocks receptors needed to destroy ovarian cancer cells. Yale is the only U.S. institution participating in the Phase II clinical trial. “This is a completely new approach in the treatment of ovarian cancer,” said Gil Mor, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, who is leading the study along with Thomas J. Rutherford, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of gynecologic oncology. “We are finding that phenoxodiol is able to induce cell death in ovarian cancer cells that proved to be resistant to the effects of all other drugs, including those presently in use for the treatment of ovarian cancer.”

The Yale study will enroll about 40 women for 12-week treatment cycles. The drug is being tested by Yale for Marshall Edwards Inc., a subsidiary of Novogen Ltd.