Radium-223 Dichloride, otherwise known as Xofigo, is the first alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical used to treat prostate-cancer-related bone metastasis. The FDA approved Xofigo in May of 2013. The clinical trial that led to the FDA approval was called the ALSYMPCA trial. Eligible patients were randomized in a 2:1 fashion to either receive six monthly intravenous injections of radium-223 or best standard of care, such as antiandrogen hormonal therapy, local external beam radiation, corticosteroids, estramustine, or ketoconazole. The men who received radium-223 had improvement in bone pain and also experienced an increased survival.

Radium-223 is used to treat bone metastases, a common problem for men living with metastatic hormone resistant prostate cancer (MHRPC), affecting up to 90% of these patients. The development of a drug called radium-223 (brand name: Xofigo) is a substantial innovation, not only because it causes less toxicity compared to its predecessors, but also because it prolongs life.

Greetings researcher, and welcome to a new edition of Prostate Insights. We have exciting things to announce and important information about new and current treatments. More treatments are becoming available today for men who have metastatic prostate cancer. More treatments are becoming available today for men who have metastatic prostate cancer. William K. Oh, MD and Charlie Baker from the Tisch Cancer Institute will provide an overview of the unique radiotherapy called Xofigo (radium-223)...

In this blog PCRI presents an interview from our contributing partner, Prostatepedia. 

Prostatepedia spoke with Dr. E. David Crawford at length about bone metastases in prostate cancer. Here is the interview:

Radium-223 (or Alpharadin) is a new targeted alpha-emitting agent which has shown a prolongation of survival in castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients with bone-metastatic disease (5).