A new treatment for colon cancer!

Vectibix (panitumumab) is a new agent used to treat colon cancer that has spread outside of the colon to other organs.  It's used in cancers that have a molecule on the surface of the cancer cell called EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor).  Vectibix is called a monoclonal antibody, which attaches itself to the receptor and keeps growth factors from attaching to the receptor and causing the cancer cells to reproduce.  Vectibix is made only from human sources in contrast to Erbitux (cetuximab) which is chimeric, meaning that it is derived from both mouse and human antibodies. Vectibix is used in patients who have had progression of their cancer after or while being treated with other chemotherapy drugs used in colon cancer.