Study: Exisulind Reduces Size and Prevents Growth of Colon Polyps

Daily treatment with exisulind (Aptosyn®) for one-year significantly reduced the size of precancerous adenomatous colon polyps and prevented further polyp growth, according to researchers.

The researchers told the American Gastroenterology Association annual meeting that more than half of the patients treated with 400 mg/day of exisulind experienced shrinkage in their measured polyp of 50 percent.or more.

In contrast, they said one-third of patients taking a lower 200 mg/day dose of exisulind, and approximately 30 percent of patients in the placebo group, responded to treatment.

At the same time, the number of patients in the 400 mg exisulind group whose disease progressed was significantly lower at 6.1 percent, compared to 21.1 percent of those taking 200 mg of exisulind and 27.9 percent of those taking the placebo.

"Exisulind given at 400 mg/day was clearly superior to placebo in inducing regression and preventing the further growth of sporadic colon adenomas," concluded Dr. Nadir Arber of Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.

"Based on these results, we believe this drug clearly merits further investigation as a possible treatment to prevent precancerous colon polyps in people known to be significantly at risk for developing colon cancer," Arber said.

Other sources: Cell Pathways