Methods for treating metastatic stage prostate cancer

Abstract

The invention provides methods and dosing regimens for treating metastatic stage prostate cancer in a subject using degarelix, as well as related methods of using degarelix in a subject identified as having metastatic stage prostate cancer, and methods of using degarelix to prevent or delay the progression of locally advanced prostate cancer.

1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A method for treating a patient with prostate cancer, comprising:
 administering to the patient an initial dose of degarelix of 240 mg given as two injections of 120 mg each, and   administering to the patient a maintenance dose of degarelix of 80 mg given as one injection, wherein the maintenance dose is administered approximately every 28 days after the previous dose of degarelix for a duration treatment,   wherein the patient has a decreased likelihood of prostate-specific antigen failure (PSA failure) compared to treatment with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the patient has an increased probability of completing a 364 day duration of treatment without PSA failure compared to treatment with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the treatment duration is longer than 364 days. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the patient's prostate cancer is at a stage selected from localized prostate cancer, locally advanced prostate cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, and non-classifiable prostate cancer. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the patient has locally advanced prostate cancer. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the patient has metastatic prostate cancer. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising, prior to administering the initial dose of degarelix, identifying the patient as having metastatic stage prostate cancer. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying metastatic lesions by imaging. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying metastatic lesions by bone scan. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the identifying comprises determining the patient's serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the patient has a serum PSA level >50 ng/ml prior to treatment. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the patient has a serum PSA level of 20-50 ng/ml prior to treatment. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein PSA failure is defined as an increase in serum PSA level of 50% and 5 ng/mL compared with nadir, measured on two consecutive occasions at least two weeks apart. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial dose of degarelix is given as two subcutaneous injections of 120 mg each at a concentration of 40 mg/mL. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the maintenance dose of degarelix of 80 mg is given as one subcutaneous injection at a concentration of 20 mg/mL. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the treatment with a GnRH agonist is treatment with monthly intramuscular injections of 7.5 mg leuprolide.