Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald On The Success Of Cougar Biotechnology’s Abiraterone Acetate
It was reported by the National Cancer Institute that this year’s new cases of prostate cancer has already reached 240,890 and counting. Although prostate cancer may occur to teenagers and young adults, it was realized that older men are more prone to this disease. Sufferers of prostate cancer often find difficulty and pain in their groin and penis. In most cases, prostate cancer patients experience problems in urinating, penis erection, and seminal ejaculation. These effects are due to the cancer cells that developed and replaced the healthy cells in the prostate gland. The Stage IV of prostate cancer is where the patient is said to have hormone refractory prostate cancer or HRPC. During this stage, the cancer cells have spread beyond the seminal vesicles and into nearby organs, lymph nodes and skeletal system. Also, the PSA of the patient can be in the highest level while the Gleason Score can be as much as 10.
The effectiveness of Abiraterone Acetate in curing and extending the life of Stage IV cancer patients was successfully proven during the Phase II of its clinical trial. It was in 2008 when the product was approved after passing the Phase III clinical trial. In April 2011, the Abiraterone Acetate was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after finding out that this drug is indeed effective and has no significant side effects to the human body. Eventually, Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald closed a billion dollar deal with Johnson & Johnson for the production, marketing, and distribution of the said product. The growing number of prostate cancer cases, which morbidly means large market, is one of the main reasons why Johnson & Johnson had the acquisition of Cougar Biotechnology from Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald way back in 2009.