LONDON: A commonly-used anti-psychotic drug could also be effective against a form of breast cancer, that is most difficult to treat, a study has found.
Researchers from the University of Bradford in the UK also showed that the drug, Pimozide, has the potential to treat the most common type of lung cancer.
Anti-psychotic drugs are known to have anti-cancer properties, with some, albeit inconclusive, studies showing a reduced incidence of cancer amongst people with schizophrenia.
The research, published in the journal Oncotarget, is the first to identify how one of these drugs acts against triple negative breast cancer, with the potential to be the first targeted treatment for the disease.
“Triple negative breast cancer has lower survival rates and increased risk of recurrence. It is the only type of breast cancer for which only limited targeted treatments are available,” said Mohamed El-Tanani from the University of Bradford.
“Our research has shown that Pimozide could potentially fill this gap. And because this drug is already in clinical use, it could move quickly into clinical trials,” said El-Tanani. (AGENCIES)
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