Method of treating cancers and a pharmaceutical composition that may be used in practicing said method

Abstract

The method of treating a person having a cancer selected from carcinoma, sarcoma or hematopoietic cancer by administering (a) an effective amount of at least one anti-cancer drug selected from the group consisting of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor and a Raf kinase inhibitor and (b) an effective amount of 5-(4-(6-(4-amino-3,5-dimethyl-phenoxy)-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethoxy)-benzyl)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione.dihydrochloride provided that said carcinoma is not lung cancer when an EGFR inhibitor is erlotinib. The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition that may be used in practicing said method.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An anti-cancer pharmaceutical composition for treatment of carcinoma, sarcoma or hematopoietic cancer comprising:
 (a) an effective amount of at least one anti-cancer drug selected from the group consisting of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor,   a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor and   a Raf kinase inhibitor and   (b) an effective amount of 5-(4-(6-(4-amino-3,5-dimethyl-phenoxy)-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethoxy)-benzyl)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione.dihydrochloride as active ingredients   provided that said carcinoma is not lung cancer when an EGFR inhibitor is erlotinib.   
     
     
         2 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 1 , wherein said anti-cancer drug (a) is at least one selected from the group consisting of cetuximab, panitumumab, erlotinib, lapatinib, bevacizumab, SU11248 and vatalanib. 
     
     
         3 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 1 , wherein said anti-cancer drug (a) is at least one selected from the group consisting of gefitinib and sorafenib. 
     
     
         4 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition is for the treatment of colon cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer or prostate cancer. 
     
     
         5 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition is for the treatment of medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma or liposarcoma. 
     
     
         6 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition is for the treatment of liposarcoma. 
     
     
         7 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition is for the treatment of multiple myeloma or leukemia. 
     
     
         8 . A method of treating a person having a cancer selected from carcinoma, sarcoma or hematopoietic cancer comprising administering:
 (a) an effective amount of at least one anti-cancer drug selected from the group consisting of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor,   a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor and   a Raf kinase inhibitor and   (b) an effective amount of 5-(4-(6-(4-amino-3,5-dimethyl-phenoxy)-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethoxy)-benzyl)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione.dihydrochloride provided that said carcinoma is not lung cancer when an EGFR inhibitor is erlotinib.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said anti-cancer drug (a) is at least one selected from the group consisting of panitumumab, lapatinib, bevacizumab, SU11248 and vatalanib. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said anti-cancer drug (a) is at least one selected from the group consisting of cetuximab, gefitinib, erlotinib and sorafenib. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said method is for the treatment of lung cancer, and said anti-cancer drug (a) is gefitinib. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said method is for the treatment of kidney cancer, and said anti-cancer drug (a) is sorafenib. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said carcinoma is for the treatment of kidney cancer, and said anti-cancer drug (a) is sorafenib. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , for treatment of a cancer selected from medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma or liposarcoma. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , for treatment of a cancer selected from multiple myeloma or leukemia. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , for treatment of a cancer which is liposarcoma. 
     
     
         17 . An anti-cancer pharmaceutical composition for treatment of carcinoma, sarcoma or hematopoietic cancer comprising:
 (a) an effective amount of at least one anti-cancer drug selected from the group of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, wherein said EGFR inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of cetuximab and panitumumab, and   (b) an effective amount of 5-(4-(6-(4-amino-3,5-dimethyl-phenoxy)-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethoxy)-benzyl)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione.dihydrochloride as active ingredients.   
     
     
         18 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 17 , wherein said EGFR inhibitor is cetuximab. 
     
     
         19 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 17 , wherein said EGFR inhibitor is panitumumab. 
     
     
         20 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 18 , for treatment of carcinoma selected from the group consisting of gastric cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer and prostate cancer. 
     
     
         21 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 20 , wherein said carcinoma is colon cancer. 
     
     
         22 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 18 , for treatment of sarcoma selected from medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma or liposarcoma. 
     
     
         23 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 22 , wherein said sarcoma is liposarcoma. 
     
     
         24 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 18 , for treatment of hematopoietic cancer which is multiple myeloma or leukemia. 
     
     
         25 . A method of treating a cancer selected from carcinoma, sarcoma or hematopoietic cancer comprising administering:
 (a) an effective amount of at least one anti-cancer drug selected from the group of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, wherein said EGFR inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of cetuximab and panitumumaab, and   (b) an effective amount of 5-(4-(6-(4-amino-3,5-dimethyl-phenoxy)-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethoxy)-benzyl)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione.dihydrochloride.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said anti-cancer drug (a) is cetuximab. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said anti-cancer drug (a) is panitumumab. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , for treatment of carcinoma selected from gastric cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer or prostate cancer. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said carcinoma is colon cancer. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , for treatment of sarcoma selected from medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma or liposarcoma. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said sarcoma is liposarcoma. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , for treatment of hematopoietic cancer which is multiple myeloma or leukemia. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25 , for the treatment of sarcoma which is liposarcoma.