HIV drug Nelfinavir enters human trials as anti-cancer agent : Nature on-line story

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070827/full/070827-7.html

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Excerpt :

"Published online: 31 August 2007

HIV drug tackles cancer cells
Tumour growth blocked by anti-HIV agent.
Mary Muers

Drugs designed to attack a range of other diseases could now be trained on
cancer cells.

A type of drug commonly used to treat HIV can slow the growth of cancer
cells, researchers have found. The discovery raises hopes that drugs
developed to fight one killer disease could help tackle another.

The HIV drug nelfinavir is now going through its first trial in patients
with a range of cancers, in light of the new evidence. Cancer scientists
think that by 'repositioning' drugs already approved as HIV therapies, they
could help to save lives by reducing the 15-year wait and estimated US$1
billion for getting a cancer drug from lab to clinic."


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