What is Alimta?
Alimta® (Pemetrexed)
Alimta® is a chemotherapy drug that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 to fight malignant mesothelioma. The drug works by preventing cell growth which can stop the malignant tumor from metastasizing (or spreading) throughout the body. The drug works on three enzymes specifically: thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyl transferase. These enzymes are necessary for the formation of DNA and RNA. Since Alimta® stops the formation of these enzymes it prevents the formation of DNA and RNA, which in turn stops cell growth and hopefully stops the tumor from metastasizing.
Alimta®is administered intravenously once every three weeks for a ten-minute period. Alimta® can be used as a single agent or in combination with cisplastin. Cisplatin is a platinum based chemotherapy drug used to treat several types of cancers. Alimta's clinical trials results suggest that Alimta, when used in combination with cisplatin, improves the median survival rate for patients suffering from malignant pleural effusion. Patients who were treated with Alimta® and cisplatin survived about three months longer than patients treated only with cisplatin.
