Dr. Gomella on Radium-223 in Advanced Prostate Cancer

Leonard G. Gomella, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Urology at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Kimmel Cancer Center, discusses the novel therapeutic radium-223 (alpharadin), which is awaiting a decision from the FDA as a treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer.

The field of prostate cancer seems to attract novel therapeutic approaches, such as the personalized immunotherapy sipuleucel-T (Provenge), Gomella notes. Additionally, if approved in this space, radium-223 would become the first alpha particle emitting agent.

Until radium-223 is approved, it is unclear where the FDA label will place it in the sequence. However, Gomella notes, clinical trials examining the agent denote its efficacy in bone metastatic prostate cancer, making it a potential candidate anywhere in the spectrum of treatment for advanced disease. However, Gomella is intrigued to discover where the exact FDA label places this treatment in the sequence.