Summary
Didemnin B, a dipsipeptide isolated from the Caribbean tunicate Trididemnum with antitumor and antiviral activity was evaluated in a phase II trial in the treatment of metastatic, hormonally refractory adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Thirteen patients were treated with didemnin B at 3.5 mg/m2 and 20 patients were treated at 6.3 mg/m2 intravenously every 28 days. Response was assessed every 8 weeks. Of 32 evaluable patients there was one partial response for an overall response rate of 3% (95% confidence interval of 0.1–16%). The most common toxicities were nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Serious cardiac and pulmonary toxicities were also noted. This drug does not appear to warrant further evaluation in this disease as a single agent.
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Williamson, S.K., Wolf, M.K., Eisenberger, M.A. et al. Phase II evaluation of didemnin B in hormonally refractory metastatic prostate cancer. Invest New Drugs 13, 167–170 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872867
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872867