• Email   • Help  Orphan designation  On 20 June 2005, orphan
designation (EU/3/05/289) was granted by the European Commission
to F. Izzo, Italy, for pegylated arginine deiminase for the
treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.   What is hepatocellular
carcinoma?   What are the methods of treatment available?  The
choice of the treatment of hepatocellular cancer depends on
several factors, mainly the stage of the disease. Treatments may
include surgery, radiation therapy (using high-energy rays to
kill cancer cells), chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer
cells) or immunotherapy (treatment by stimulation of the body’s
own defence system against the cancer cells). At the time of
submission of the application for orphan drug designation,
several products were authorised for the condition in some
countries of the Community. Pegylated arginine deiminase could
be of potential significant benefit for the treatment of
hepatocellular carcinoma because it might improve the long-term
outcome of the patients. The assump