Preclinical and Clinical Studies of Breast Cancer Prevention with Transdermal Anti-Progesterone Agents

Our overall goal continues to be the development of safer and more effective approaches for breast cancer prevention. Support from the BCRF has specifically enabled us to focus on drugs that oppose the actions of the female hormone progesterone, which have potential for breast cancer prevention, and possibly therapy. Our efforts encompass both clinical and laboratory studies. In the clinic, we continue to enroll women recently diagnosed with early stage breast cancer to a study where they are given either the anti-progesterone drug telapristone, or placebo, while they await the surgical procedure. We have completed the postmenopausal component of the recruitment, and are continuing to recruit premenopausal women, who will comprise 2/3 of the study population, since there is good reason to believe that this group of drugs will be particularly effective for younger women.