"We're just trying to get some public awareness about our efforts to get Mom access to this drug, I feel like we were out of options, and the only way to get results is to get this out there," Jackie Loughman, the youngest of the three women, said yesterday in a telephone interview.
According to the Mayo Clinic, pancreatic cancer is one of the most serious cancers. It spreads quickly and is rarely detected early, making it a leading cause of cancer death. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 34,000 people will die of the disease this year, and about 38,000 will be diagnosed with it.
Connie Loughman was diagnosed in August after she went to see her doctor, complaining of abdominal pain. She participated in one unrelated clinical trial but had to stop treatment after it put her in the hospital. She also has undergone chemotherapy to treat a tumor on her pancreas.
Because of those treatments, she is not eligible for GenVec's trial, Jackie Loughman said.
Her dad, John, took on the caregiver role for his wife of 44 years and the three daughters rotate in as needed. Connie Loughman had to leave her investment-adviser position, a job she loved. She is now on disability and struggles daily with the disease.
The daughters decided to launch the campaign after reading about TNFerade in a January news article. They linked their mother's situation with that of actor Patrick Swayze, who confirmed he had pancreatic cancer this month. Their hope is Swayze's celebrity would draw more attention, though they have not heard from his camp yet, Jackie Loughman said. The Web site is www.cureconnieandpatrick.com.
The YouTube video (www.youtube.com/watch? v=09gFnSYUjQQ) shows images of Connie Loughman and Swayze. The family's Web site calls TNFerade a "revolutionary" and "life-saving" treatment. A news release issued by the family calls the drug a "cure."
That is troubling to GenVec, which is subject to strict rules when it comes to evaluating its drugs.
"We've never used the word `cure.' That is a word for this diagnosis that is rarely used," Swirsky said. While TNFerade has shown some results, its real feat is extending median survival about four months, he said.
"We're talking about months, and not years," Swirsky said. "We know how tough this disease is."
The 15-year-old company has about 120 employees and no products on the market. Its main focus is moving TN Ferade forward. But the earliest the drug could be approved and brought to market is 2010, which is not good enough for Loughman's daughters.
"She's one of those people who's always there for you," Jackie Loughman said of her mother. "It's my turn now. "
tricia.bishop@baltsun.com
