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Novartis' Lutathera improves certain tumor patients' quality of life

Novartis AG said certain cancer patients treated with Lutathera had a higher quality of life for longer compared to a hormone drug.

In a phase 3 trial, called Netter-1, patients with progressive midgut neuroendocrine tumors received either Lutathera or octreotide LAR, sold by Novartis as Sandostatin LAR.

Neuroendocrine tumors are abnormal tissue growths that arise from cells of the hormonal and nervous systems. Octreotide is a medicine that mimics the hormone somatostatin, which is naturally produced in the body and has several effects including inhibiting the release of hormones.

Patients treated with Lutathera said it took a median of 28.8 months from initial treatment before their overall health and quality of life started deteriorating. Meanwhile, the time to deterioration, or TTD, for the octreotide group was 6.1 months.

In terms of physical functioning, the TTD for Lutathera and octreotide groups was 25.2 months and 11.5 months, respectively.

However, Lutathera had no significant TTD benefit to patients in measures such as insomnia, appetite loss, financial difficulties and social functioning. No TTD analysis significantly favored the trial's octreotide arm.

Switzerland-based Novartis agreed to acquire Lutathera along with Advanced Accelerator Applications SA in October 2017. The drug is approved to treat certain tumors along the gastrointestinal tract.