Pro-Pharmaceuticals Inc., on the 30th of August, 2008, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for use of DAVANAT® in combination with 5-FU to treat a patient of breast cancer at the Brown Cancer Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Also, DAVANAT is being administered in Phase II clinical trials for first-line treatment of colorectal and biliary cancer patients. Studies showed that DAVANAT®, when given along with chemotherapy, reduced tumor growth and toxicity considerably in mice implanted with metastatic human breast cancer. It also lowered the levels of side effects.

According to the Wichita Eagle, the operating funds of the Kansas Early Detection Works program, which provides uninsured low-income women in the state with breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings at no cost, have depleted, resulting in a delay of almost all cancer screenings until July 1. The program officials have, however, reserved some funding for women who display symptoms of breast or cervical cancer. Apart from receiving about $2.3 million per annum from CDC, the program receives some funding from the state and the Mid-Kansas affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is set to honor individuals who have consistently worked towards making tremendous advancements in the field of cancer. Among those being rewarded for their lifetime commitment to improving the lives of people living with cancer are Dr. Jordan, the first scientist to demonstrate tamoxifen’s effectiveness in the prevention of breast cancer, and Mary-Claire King, who was the first to provide proof of the genetic inheritance of breast cancer.