Westside : DRUG TEST

UCLA medical researchers are seeking patients with a form of cancer known as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma to participate in the testing of a new drug to treat the disease.

Most patients will receive injections of the drug, Interleukin-2 Fusion Toxin, intermittently for six months.

The free procedure will be handled on an outpatient basis, with some participants receiving placebos.

Interleukin-2 Fusion Toxin has been tested in more than 200 patients suffering from a variety of malignant and immunological disorders. Thirty-two of the patients had cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, researchers said.

“Five of those patients experienced complete remission, and seven others had a 50% to 99% reduction of their tumors,” said John Dreyfuss, a spokesman for the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is conducting the study.

Side effects of the drug include nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, rashes and elevated liver enzyme levels, Dreyfuss said, adding that the side effects are less severe than those experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The study is being conducted at 23 medical centers across the country. At UCLA, it is being carried out under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Pinter-Brown.

Anyone with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma who is interested in participating in the clinical trial should contact Pinter-Brown at (818) 364-3205.