The results of phase III trial of drug abiraterone acetate have revealed that it extends on an average four months of life among men with prostate cancer. The drug is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson unit Centocor Ortho Biotech and is marketed as Zytiga.

The clinical trials of the drug involved 1,195 men with prostate cancer who had stopped responding to standard hormone therapy and chemotherapy. The results of the trials revealed that men who received the new treatment survived for 25 months whereas those who received placebos survived only for 11 months. Patients who received Zytiga also experienced less pain.

The drug was developed at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). Last month, Zytiga received U. S. approval to treat patients, who are suffering from the last stage of prostate cancer and have previously received chemotherapy. The drug is recommended to use in combination with prednisone. The manufacturer of the drug has applied to receive approval in Europe but the drug is not available for the patients in the UK.

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s Chief Executive, said that the drug will be highly beneficial for more than 10,000 men diagnosed with severe form of prostate cancer in the UK, every year.