Researchers from the Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Healthcare Biotechnology of Elche (IDiBE-UMH), Asia Fernández Carvajal and Antonio Ferrer Montiel, are taking part in a pioneering international clinical trial that shows significant improvements in the quality of life of cancer patients.
Up to 80% of patients treated with taxane- or platinum-based chemotherapy develop chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a side effect that causes pain, tingling, and loss of sensation in the hands and feet, and can even lead to discontinuation of treatment.
The study, published in the scientific journal Clinical and Translational Oncology, demonstrates that an innovative topical formulation (Oncapsisens®), developed by the company Prospera Biotech —a spin-off of IDiBE-UMH—, can significantly reduce the incidence of this neuropathy in the hands and improve patients’ quality of life.
The clinical trial was conducted in nine hospitals in Spain and Belgium with the participation of 142 oncology patients. The results showed:
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A reduction in the incidence of neuropathy in the hands.
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A delay in the onset of neuropathic symptoms during chemotherapy.
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A lower impact of symptoms on patients’ daily lives.
This breakthrough opens the door to new therapeutic options for an adverse effect that, until now, has lacked effective preventive treatments.
