Lindsay Rosenwald is a specialist in the fields of life sciences and healthcare consulting and investments. Below, Lindsay Rosenwald explains how targeted therapy drugs are contributing to advancements in cancer treatment. Aicube: What is targeted therapy? Lindsay Rosenwald: As researchers discover more about specific gene changes that occur in cancer-causing cells, they have been better equipped to develop drugs that directly target these changes. This particular treatment is called targeted therapy. Aicube: How do targeted therapy drugs work?

Lindsay Rosenwald: Targeted therapy drugs are not designed to work in the same fashion as standard chemotherapy drugs. Targeted therapy drugs are often capable of attacking cancer cells without much damage to normal surrounding cells. They accomplish this feat by targeting the inner workings of cancer cells—the unique programming that sets them apart from normal, healthy cells. Plus, these drugs generally have less severe side effects when compared to traditional chemotherapy drugs.

Aicube: What diseases can be treated using targeted therapy drugs?

Lindsay Rosenwald: Targeted therapy drugs can be used to treat several types of diseases, with cancer being the most notable of them. Some cancers that have been treated using targeted therapy drugs include types of liver, pancreatic, lung, kidney, colorectal, breast, and head and neck cancers. Today, targeted therapy drugs are a prime focus for the medical community, and specifically cancer researchers. Many more advancements are expected in this field.

Aicube: Are targeted therapy drugs similar to chemo?

Lindsay Rosenwald: Because targeted therapy drugs are administered as a way to treat cancer, they are considered to be chemo drugs. However, they have different side effects, so most medical professionals will talk about them separately. Essentially, the more effective a therapy is at destroying cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed, the more effective it is as a treatment.

Aicube: What’s the goal of targeted therapy drugs?

Lindsay Rosenwald: At times, treatment using targeted therapy drugs can be the sole treatment for cancer patients. However, targeted therapy drugs are most often used in combination with other treatment methods such as radiation therapy, chemo and surgery.  Depending on the kind of cancer and how far it’s spread, these targeted therapy drugs can be administered in order to cure the cancer, inhibit its growth or relieve any of the side effects and symptoms caused by the cancer.

As a prolific creator of biotechnology companies, Lindsay Rosenwald has managed development of drugs used to treat major diseases such as fibromyalgia, schizophrenia, influenza, obesity and infant respiratory distress syndrome. Cougar Biotechnology, a company established by Lindsay Rosenwald, was sold to multinational manufacturer Johnson & Johnson in 2009.