The Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday that the Australian Lung Cancer Trials Group plans to launch a national clinical trial of Thalidomide as a follow-up treatment for mesothelioma sufferers who have undergone treatment with the drug Alimta. Alimta is a chemotherapy agent which has been shown to increase survival time and improve qualifty of life for mesothelioma patients. It was recently added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), allowing wider access to the drug for mesothelioma sufferers.

One hundred Australians who have undergone Alimta treatment will participate in the Thalidomide trial, called MATES (Maintenance Thalidomide in Mesothelioma). The study will compare those patients that have received chemotherapy to treat their cancer with those who have received standard mesothelioma treatments and the drug Thalidomide to treat their cancer. One of the objectives of the trial is to prove whether adding Thalidomide to standard treatment will prolong the lives and improve the quality of life for mesothelioma victims.

Thalidomide had been used in Australia in the 50's and 60's to treat morning sickness but was taken off the market worldwide when it was found to cause birth defects and miscarriages. According to the study organizers, such risks would not be an issue in the Thalidomide trial because study participants are past child bearing age. The trial will begin in March 2008 and is expected to take up to two years to complete.