The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America is supporting clinical trials of Veglin, a relatively new anti-angiogenesis drug designed to halt blood vessel formation. Anti-angiogenesis drugs target the body’s natural production of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF), proteins that spark blood vessel growth into cancerous tumors and lead to malignancy. Mesothelioma is among the cancers being studied in the clinical trials.

Veglin is undergoing clinical trials at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, and, in August 2007, MESORFA teamed up with doctors at the Yale Cancer Medical Center in an endeavor to meet the needs of the mesothelioma patients on the East Coast.

Veglin inhibits VEGF proteins, halting the formation of blood vessels and limiting the ability of tumors to grow and spread. Veglin is an antisense oligonucleotide, meaning that it can bond to messenger RNA (nucleic acid that directs protein production) and block the production of VEGF proteins.

Trials are targeting patients that have already undergone chemotherapy, and also newly diagnosed patients.

To determine if you qualify for Veglin, please contact Jennifer Paul, Executive Director, by calling 1-800-909-MESO (6376).